Fated Conclusion
by Kishou
Summary: Earth has been charmed by centuries of peace, and is watched over by guardians who have lost their humanity. Can ordinary people rise up and save their own world? Firmly based on the Japanese version. Centers around original characters. Please, review
1. Wanderings

Preface  
*An explanation of things to come*  
  
Explanation is usually required by popular society for almost everything you do. It's necessary, you see.   
Explanation is the linking of two minds in an idea…in an understanding. Sometimes, the concept of required   
explanation suggests a negative connotation, but that is merely an assumption on the part of the individual. Even   
when circumstances dictate that an explanation is likely to be false, an explanation is required all the same. If you   
strike, you must have a good explanation. If you accuse, then you must have a good explanation. If you kill…  
…If you kill…  
…Is there anything that can give sufficient 'explanation' for such a thing?  
…In any case, as I've said, you only need an explanation for an act of negative proportions. You do not   
require an explanation to smile, even though you will often be asked why you are smiling. There is no required   
response. You can respond with 'I am smiling because I feel like smiling' and that is good enough for any person.   
After all, a smile is non-threatening. It requires no explanation.  
I'm quite sure this tale is non-threatening.  
But this will require some explanation.  
As to whether this is a negative act, I cannot tell you. Perhaps it is. I'm not sure.  
I cannot tell you who I am. But I see everything. Even you at this very moment. I bore witness to the birth of   
your world. I watched as your civilization began. I observed and kept my silent vigil as violent conflict was brought to   
bear upon the beauty of your own culture. But out of those terrible experiments into the unknown, steps toward peace   
always followed.  
What you do not know is that there is a cause behind every one of these horrible occurrences. A common   
thread that always brings two groups to terrible catastrophe, and that leads to the downfall of gods. Some would argue   
that violence is in your nature. They would simply satisfy themselves with believing that they cannot change what they   
do not understand. This is because that they do not realize…that they do not want to realize…that your 'violent nature'   
is a carefully prefabricated lie. It is within all of you, this figurehead. It is a coveted dream of the powers of evil. It has   
existed since the beginning of time, just as I have.  
I am the check to that force. I am the opposite. I am all that opposes it.  
The tale that I am about to tell you happens in the far future. It contains elements that you may find have no   
bearing on your life. You'll tell me that you don't have anything to do with this 'future war' nonsense. But I have   
chosen you to hear this story. I have chosen you to believe.  
Somewhere within the many pages of this vast chronicle, you will find myself. I was a participant in this tale.   
I was there. Perhaps you will discover who I am, and why I am telling you this story. But it will take concentration on   
your part. It is not required of you at all…but perhaps you will understand if you know my reasons, and my motives.  
The people in this story are real. They lived…and fought…and some died for their efforts. They were the   
hopes and dreams of the entire world, for only they were in the right places, at the right times, to make a difference.   
They are the best-kept secret in the entire world, for if you were to know of their existence or of their roots, you would   
be able to change the future, and this story would cease to exist. I cannot allow this to happen…I cannot allow the   
future to change. Trust me…take a leap of faith. Anything that you must do to suspend your disbelief and set free   
your spirit, for these events are very real…and they cannot be stopped.  
I leave any further interpretations of this web of truths to you. I will refer to myself as one of many…as one of   
you, for it is easier for you to understand if I speak with your own voice. From this point on, I am simply a whisper in   
the darkness.  
And so, let us proceed. We will begin with a mystery.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
*Six months prior to the storyline*  
  
Unfortunately, among the twists and turns of fate that we call life, there are places where we must stop and   
wonder if life is really what we make it out to be. Life, even as a shimmering tapestry of perfection, is an intricate   
pattern of deception and cunning. It does a wonderful job of hiding small and bothersome nicks and cuts…it shields   
the small and minute things from our passing gaze...but when we examine the tapestry further, we see that it does not   
exist at all. The tapestry becomes unraveled the moment we lay eyes on it. Among the shining brightness of the   
people of this world, there are darker spots, eclipsed by the brilliance of the status quo. The brilliant reds and indigos   
and violets hide the dullness of brown and black beneath…as if they somehow wish to break away from that which is a   
part of themselves…  
…I apologize. In my travels throughout the cosmos, my language has become slightly…colorful. Allow me   
to start again…  
Some of our brothers and sisters are born with disadvantages. Some are gifted with them during their   
lifetime…some have them forced upon themselves…but it is always the same result. Bodily harm, illness,   
disease…some cannot even make sense of the world, as their mind betrays them at every step. And yes, I said gifted.   
You see, out of every crisis, there comes a new understanding of life. Those who are born with these crises are   
undoubtedly individuals who will learn to appreciate the value of life. But setting aside the deep meaning of such a   
thing, these people are often shunned by society as outcasts, and despite the many advances in modern medicine,   
these people cannot always fool themselves into believing that they are as normal as everyone else. As sad as this is,   
it is the truth, and the truth is always what we must face.  
To cure these 'disabilities'…these, 'problems' as you call them, humankind has developed many kinds of   
therapy. Broken bones can be mended by use of a splint. Stitches can be applied to severe wounds to make sure   
they stay closed. Tortured minds are consoled and nurtured by the trained oration of psychiatric therapists…  
Some people cannot be saved. But those that are saved stand as a reminder that 'progress' is being made.  
Now, if you were to query one such professional dedicated to erasing these imperfections, you would notice   
that they are quite different from one another. One might be called a doctor. One might be an optometrist. One might   
be a genetic engineer. However, their purpose remains the same; To battle inanimate objects and microscopic life   
forms intent on destroying the quality of life. They live to 'save' us from harm.  
Now, in this case, let us suppose that you approached one of these men or women that handled serious   
physical injury cases. Let us further assume that you ask them what treatment would be required to repair several third   
degree burns, two compound fractures (The first of the femur, the second of the radius), a concussion, and a tearing of   
both the bicuspid and tricuspid cardiac valves.  
This person would most likely inform you that the patient had little chance of surviving. Even if the patient   
was rushed immediately to the hospital, they would most likely die on the operating table. They might even remark that   
even in hundreds of years, this patient would still most likely die despite advances in medical technology.  
It's really a shame that we wouldn't be able to save them, they might tell you.  
…How surprised would they be if they discovered that without any aid, someone lived through this tragedy?  
  
Hate. It was what drove her onward. It was an insurmountable pressure beneath her, forcing her upward at   
the speed of thought. It boiled and seethed beneath her, begging and pleading to be set free upon the world. It was   
the only thing that penetrated the cold depths of her psyche. The only thing that existed within her world.  
Hatred…and revenge.  
Her skin had been burned. But she had repaired it.  
Her bones were fractured. But she had mended them.  
Her thoughts had been cloudy. But they had cleared.  
Her heart had stopped beating. But she had breathed new life into her body.  
*Just a little longer. Then I'll be free.*  
A day, two days, a week, a month, a year, a decade.  
Through the infinite sleep of the people of the Earth, the hatred kept her going. Storms of ice and mountains   
of fire raged over her head, but the apocalypse above stirred her not.  
She knew. They were still alive.  
She was calm, calculating. She was overcome with the desire for a strike against those who had opposed   
her. Every second…every moment…every thought…it was there.  
And then, one day, she was ready.  
The twilight slowly beaming down on the ocean surface was gentle, calming, serene. The stars shone down   
on the glassy surface like a pattern of pinholes against a child's piece of construction paper. Small waves whispered   
on the shoreline as they lapped against the sandy frontier of dry land. A small sand crab scurried along the beach,   
making tiny marks in the sand with its feet…marks that would be erased only minutes later as the waves embraced   
them and reclaimed them as their own. The threshold to the Pacific Ocean was in a constant state of regeneration, a   
ring of genesis and apocalypse that would continue onward to a day so distant that it is expressed in billions of years.  
Far overhead, in the depths of nothingness, there shone a light against the ebony waters. A light so pale, so   
brilliant, that it had come to signify power and holiness among the people of this planet. That light came from Luna, the   
first and only natural satellite of Earth.  
Perhaps it was coincidence that on this night, the moon shone in a flawless spherical pattern against the   
water…a mirror of reality upon the glassy surface.  
No matter what you believe, it was no coincidence what happened next.  
Out of the ocean she came. The curtain of liquid clung to her body as she rose, retreating with quiet   
whispers against itself. Head…shoulders…chest…hips…knees…and then feet. She said nothing, for nothing needed   
to be said. Silence had become a friend of her tongue. The remaining salt water that clung to her curves dripped over   
her slim, bare form and fell to the soft sand beneath her bare feet. The inquisitive waves lapped at her ankles like the   
quiet insinuations of a child to its mother. Her long, crimson hair billowed about in the soft ocean breeze. Her jeweled   
red eyes flashed hateful fire at a non-existent watcher. There was no one around to witness her coming. There would   
be no observers.  
There would be no survivors.  
*Now is the time.*  
*Now, after so long, I am ready.*  
Her head turned slowly, observing the shoreline. The quiet darkness stood as still as the woman herself.   
The Pacific coast curved outward to a point, then folded back in on itself like some kind of cloth draped over a   
framework…  
*This is the right place.*  
*This is the right time.*  
*Everything is right…*  
The slightest hint of a smile crossed her face.  
*This is my place.*  
*This is my time.*  
*…*  
The smile vanished without a sound, and the woman herself followed only a moment later.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
~Wanderings~  
  
  
Deep within the vast confines of the Solar System, there is a planet...a planet all alone in the darkness of   
infinity. Well, if you care to be technical, you could say that there are nine, but technicalities are not exactly my cup of   
tea, so to speak. This planet was discovered late one night, several hundred years ago when a man in Europe looked   
up into the sky. Now, for what happened next to have occurred, luck was most definitely on his side. Not only was   
there not a cloud in the sky on that night, but, he had the good fortune to spot something…something he had never   
seen before. At the time, this man was unaware of the magnitude of his discovery, but we now know that the gas giant   
Uranus is a massive ball of Methane and Carbon Dioxide that makes up one of the nine planets orbiting the sun.  
Uranus itself is comprised mainly of Nobel Gases. Knocked on its side, the equator circles the planet in an   
upright fashion, the poles pointing to the left and right like some kind of cosmic joke. Several rings encircle the planet   
above the equator, captured forever by the forces of gravity. The upper layer of the atmosphere is hazy and   
concealing, hiding the immense rage and turmoil beneath. Indeed, under the façade of peaceful aqua, there is a   
boiling system of storms and cloud layers. In this place, the strongest metals are ripped to shreds and the likes of   
hurricanes and typhoons are dwarfed by storms that not even Dante could have imagined in his writings of the Inferno.  
Orbiting this sphere of aquamarine methane are more than ten moons, silent companions of the raging giant   
above. Most of these moons are merely collections of various minerals and ore deposits. However, three of these   
moons have been touched by the greatest imitator of the forces of natural creation that has ever been known; Man.   
With his wisdom and power, the three among many were transformed into habitable worlds, and teemed with life. Two   
of these moons will not be discussed here. However, the third of the three, Titania, is different. It is here, on Titania,   
that my telling of these events begins.  
Titania is the largest moon of Uranus. Indeed, in order to be large enough to provide some resemblance of   
Earth's gravity, mankind wasn't presented with too many choices. Having been chosen, however, Titania was now an   
important location on the maps of Starships. Two cities adorned the surface of the recently terraformed world. The   
first, the capital city, was a fantastic place of learning, art, music, and peace. White spires and crystalline structures   
were predominant. High technology reigned. Graceful curves and shining buildings were characteristic of this place.   
It was a place of magic, a place of power…and above all, a triumph for the sciences of mankind. Over five million   
people lived within the ebbs and flows of masonry, which was named Selestria.  
The other city of the two was smaller, but only on the surface. Alexandria, named after the ancient library   
from distant times forgotten, was an underground city. Hollowed out by unknown means, the main cavern of   
Alexandria was so massive that it supported its own weather system and ecology. A fantastic sight to behold was a   
thundercloud pouring water from the heavens, when the heavens that were spoken of were beneath your feet.   
However, because of reasons unknown, Alexandria had been silent for several years before the beginning of these   
events. Only after this story was compiled was the reason for Alexandria's silence discovered.  
There was one more settlement on Titania, but it was not mentioned because it was not a citadel of learning,   
or a fantastic underground cavern, or any such place. Nyason, a small community on the other side of the moon from   
Selestria, was actually a military garrison of sorts, enclosed within the towering walls of early paranoia and defense.   
Nyason was actually the first settlement on Titania, and accordingly, it was built to withstand anything short of a ground   
assault. The town had close to three-hundred men, women, and children within its walls, seventy of which were   
required to form a sort of colonial militia. This may seem like a ludicrously inadequate policy, however, when it comes   
to governmental procedures, it should be noted that the number seventy doesn't look too large on paper.  
I should add that throughout history, it has always been easy to overlook fatal shortcomings when they are   
simply words on a page.  
Inside the garrison itself, there is a watchtower. It was built when the garrison was established, so many   
years ago in days of distant memory. Standing thirty meters high, it served as one of the only defenses to the garrison.   
It had once shone with the luster of better days, but soon it began to show signs of age and use. It stood steadfast,   
performing the duty it was constructed for day after day, year after year. Men from the Titanian Militia took shifts   
standing on top of the tower, gazing over the horizon…watching for an enemy that would never come.  
Well, at least, for an enemy that did not come until now.  
  
  
Kyle was on duty tonight. It had already been several hours since he had ascended the watchtower and   
began his vigil…though the time seemed to stretch into eons when he gave half a thought to the task he was supposed   
to be performing. His gaze trailed over the endless depths of nothingness in the sky, searching for the slightest flicker   
of movement. Of course, there was none, and even if there were, it would have been a miracle for him to have seen it.   
His eyes would have to be in the exact location of a flicker of light that would only appear for a moment as it sped by.   
However, there were exceptions to the rule…times when something would be seen amidst the twinkle of the heavens,   
and times when that something wouldn't vanish in the space between moments. The warning bell would be rung in   
that particular 2-1-2 pattern…the militia members who were there and awake would rush out of the barracks with their   
oculars and a twinkle in their eye. You see, the members of the militia all shared the same fascination with the   
unknown, the same spark that called them to the stars. It wasn't necessarily something of note, or of interest for that   
matter...it was more of a character quirk, a deeps sense of duty. It was a matter of character, and for the men who   
made their home inside the base, being a man of character meant you aspired for the stars above.   
The sightings that the militia members made weren't anything of exceptional note…a UEF Transport on its   
way to Neptune, or a UEF Frigate re-supplying the colonies, or a UEF Mining Vessel…there was nothing that called for   
serious action. Besides, as massive as the ships were up close, from this distance, they were merely small flecks and   
flashes. You could get the same thrill from a Firefly, as long as you didn't mind the difference in distance. It almost   
becomes a thing of humor when you consider that the militia members took far more notice of passing ships then they   
did of the night sky itself. Such a thing of infinite mass and depth was eventually just taken for granted. It was seen as   
a harmless void, a source of amusement rather than one of danger. The stars were friends, the planets allies, the   
darkness a source of light. The endless twinkling of the distant celestial bodies was like a hypnotic dance, drawing   
Kyle into the mystery and wonder that waited in the far reaches of his galaxy. The color red, soft and subdued, kept   
him anchored to the ground beneath his feet…the source of which shone atop the tower and gave a quiet click every   
time it snapped on. Was it some kind of poetic metaphor that he couldn't let his thoughts be truly free because of a   
blinking light bulb? Maybe so…maybe not. The only sound to be heard was the occasional slow gust of wind. He   
would not get his answer tonight. It was still, quiet, and lonely. Just the way Kyle liked it.  
Why, then, couldn't he just tune out from all of this? Maybe it was because of that odd thing he felt called   
'duty.'  
As things stood, his 'duty', as he thought of it, was one of no purpose. Earth or its neighboring planets had   
not been threatened for years and years, ever since the ancient wars of old. Kyle was, of course, not one of the   
surviving 'spanners'…those who had been placed into suspended animation by the queen, so he had no recollection of   
any of the conflicts that defined his world. Being only 18 years of age, Kyle was just now developing a fascination with   
the past and the powers that were. History wasn't always his favorite topic in school, but it was the one that he most   
enjoyed reading about on his spare time. Ancient wars, power struggles, sacrifices in the name of friendship…it almost   
made him feel as if he had some kind of commitment to be a better person. Joining the militia made him feel as if he'd   
been fulfilling part of that commitment…and it eased his guilty conscience, which demanded that he do something   
great and honorable with his life. Being idle was something that he wanted...rest was something he was never too   
caught up on. To give up the Militia and live a life of normalcy wasn't an option.  
Was this 'need', this 'feeling' that he had to make something of himself, the same thing as the 'duty' that he   
half-despised, he wondered?  
Kyle had been born in the settlement of Nyason, on Titania. Part of only the second generation to live on the   
rocky planetoid, all the other inhabitants of his moon had come through the ancient warp gate long ago. The Queen   
herself had only given Titania an atmosphere recently. Well, relatively recently, if you spoke in terms of the Queen's   
lifetime. His parents told him that it had been a great honor to be chosen as settlers for this planet…the selection   
process was so fine-toothed that several prominent governmental and civilian figures were denied the right to be some   
of the first colonists. He gave himself a smirk as he thought about all of their money and power going to waste on a   
process that they could not sway for the life of them. It was empowering to know that there was something about his   
family, and therefore himself, that made him inherently special in some way.  
But as inherently special as he was, or as vitally important he might be, or as egotistically blown-out-of   
proportion his thoughts were, he couldn't escape from where he was right now.  
Kyle had volunteered to be one of about seventy people in the Titanian Militia to escape...to trade the rigors   
of one existence for the callings of another. He wanted the most out of his life…he wanted to have Death smile at him   
and he wanted to smile back. It was that sort of predestination…that assurance of fates, that Kyle wanted. That sort of   
life couldn't be found on his own tiny moon. Far away…in the distant cold of space, there was a planet where the stuff   
that miracles are made of was commonplace. It was a planet of perfection, of wonder, of power…the mythical Avalon,   
Shangri-La, and Eden, all in one.  
The Blue Planet, third of the nine…Earth.  
Kyle immediately went over what he knew of the past in his mind. Earth hadn't always been that way. It was   
once a place of violent war, of secret heroics hidden behind secret identities. [Once upon a time, the Earth was   
contained within the mighty grip of Chaos]… Kyle recited inside his own head. [But then, light came unto the world,   
and the Hand of Chaos was driven from the Earth by the Queen of Silver Radiance…]  
Kyle stopped himself. He had known the story of the beginning of the golden age since he was a child.   
Indeed, it was the first thing taught to all children after they had gained the means to understand it. Something   
wouldn't let him stay comfortable, though…somehow, he thought that with peace having lasted more than one   
thousand fifty years, humankind was getting a bit 'rusty', perhaps. That wasn't a very good word, he knew, but it was   
hard to explain… Kyle didn't like the notion that the leaders of the government were snug in their shells of sanctuary,   
but he figured that the Queen would always be on her guard. The Queen of Silver Radiance…she couldn't possibly let   
anything happen.  
*Why do I feel a sense of urgency in the air, then...? What does it mean...?*  
Secretly, Kyle hoped that there would be some kind of horrible threat to mankind. Some kind of disturbance   
out in that twinkling abyss, some kind of trouble that decided that the Solar System was a ripe target for an   
attack…anything at all. Of course, Kyle caught himself mid-thought. He didn't want the consequences of a war. The   
UEF was strong, but small…the Titanian Militia itself could never hold off an attack for very long, and there was only   
the one warp gate on the planet. Yet, he wanted a war…a one-sided war, for only one reason; to watch the attackers   
learn the lesson of never assaulting Earth and its outlying protectorates.  
[Assisted by her warriors of air and darkness, the Queen of Silver Radiance banished the source of Chaos to   
never return…and the world was at peace…]  
All young girls who learned of the ancient wars of old wanted to be like the 'Warriors of Air and Darkness' the   
story spoke of…to be like the guardians. Which one they wished to be always varied, but it was always the same   
perspective.  
Kyle searched his memory for what he had memorized so long ago…  
[...Their faces were as the shine of all the planets and stars in the heavens, their bearing and poise was that   
of the most ancient of all the creatures in the universe, their hearts as noble as heroes of legend, and their power the   
most destructive that the forces of Man and Nature had ever seen…]  
Ten warriors, wielding awesome powers, and protectors of all mankind. To stand against them was folly, for   
they were the incarnation of power. All those who stood in their way were utterly and totally defeated. The immortal   
guardians, blessed with eternal life by the power of the Queen of Silver Radiance, and survivors of a culture long   
absent from the world. They were, (with a few exceptions being people who had managed to live to extremely old age)   
the only survivors of the pre-catastrophe Earth. They were, with a few more exceptions, the only survivors of the   
Nemesis Invasion. And they were the only ones that called the Queen by her name. His greatest dream was to meet   
one of them…just one. To see any of the guardians was the greatest honor one could have. To meet them was   
something you passed down in your family for ages. To know one as a friend-  
Well, Kyle had never heard of that actually happening. He figured that normal people like himself weren't   
really the kind of person they would exchange words with… He wondered if they even lead any semblance of a normal   
life, or if they did the things that Kyle did every day…  
Stupid, Kyle thought. Of course not.  
He sometimes wondered if they were even human. Some stories said that the Queen wasn't even from   
Earth. It sounded silly, of course...how could that be true? The pictures that existed of her looked human enough…  
And then of course, there was his homeworld, Titania, the place of ordinary humans such as himself. They   
were free to live out their lives here, under the watchful eyes of the Earth. Kyle's mother had assured him that they   
would never have to experience the terrors of war, because they had guardian angels on their shoulders. Four of ten   
were supposedly watching them. *One of our protectors rivals the Queen herself with her power, his mother had told   
him. We will always be safe here.*  
Kyle remembered those words always. Those words were the death knell of his ambitions of excitement and   
change. His mother was right…well, his mother was half right. It was true that Titania and the entire Uranian system   
was under the protection of the four most powerful guardians…but he had noticed that the most recent information   
about the Outer Four was several years old. It bothered him…it nagged at the back of his mind like an itch that   
wouldn't go away. Why wasn't there any information from the past five years or so? If they were under watchful eyes,   
were those eyes keeping hidden…?  
Whether the guardians were watching or not…whether or not he wanted to be safe…whether or not he was   
doing his 'duty' as a person was what went through Kyle's mind as he watched the sky, and waited…  
And wait he did…for something…anything…to happen.  
"Kyle," came a voice. His response was delayed…his mind still immersed in thoughts of wars and power.  
"Oh, hey Alex," Kyle said back. He turned his body halfway toward the lift that had been standing behind him   
as he watched the heavens. "What's the problem?"  
"No problem." He walked out of the lift and stepped out onto the small observation platform, holding two   
mugs. The floor they stood on was not solid, it was more of a grating. Through the holes, you could see all the way to   
the ground, far below...to some, the holes were a bit too large for their taste. It was as if you'd seep through the   
grating, like water, and fall to a swift demise. Not surprisingly, all the members of the militia knew who in their number   
was afraid of heights.  
"I came to relieve you. Have some hot chocolate," Alex continued, and shoved a mug at his friend. Kyle   
grabbed the cup of warm liquid eagerly. Being so far from the sun, Titania was neither very bright nor very warm in the   
evenings. During the day, for some reason, things did get really hot around the garrison. It shouldn't have been so hot   
because of the distance, but they wrote it off as an effect of the gravity or something. At night, however, the vapor in   
the air formed light dustings of frost on the grass. It came as no surprise to anyone when hot chocolate became a   
favorite of the Titanian Militia.  
"Gazing at the stars again?" Alex leaned back against the railing of the watchtower.  
"Yeah…hey Alex, you ever give half a thought to the past?"  
He took a large sip from his mug and swallowed. "Well, my grades might say otherwise, but yeah, every   
once in a while. Why bring this up now?"  
Kyle clasped his mug between both hands, and gave a glance up to the sky. "Don't you wish you could have   
been there, to see the guardians fight for the freedom of the Solar System?"  
Alex chuckled a bit. "Here you go again with your little speech."  
"Come on, Alex, cut me some slack here. Surely at some point you've wanted to meet the Queen, or   
something. Don't you find it the least bit interesting?"  
"Well what if I did," Alex proposed, playing along. "What if, for some reason, I was totally obsessed with the   
guardians and the past, and I'd give my last dime just to see the back of the Queen's head? You know what I'd do?"  
"I don't know, what?"  
"I'd name myself Kyle Anson and label myself an obsessive idiot. Then I'd dunk my head in some cold water   
and get back down to the Barracks before the guys start getting ideas." Alex flashed his signature grin. "I'd hide any   
suspicious magazines I own too, or else my best friend Alex might find them." Kyle rolled his eyes.  
"Your brand of humor has me in stitches."  
"Well thank you, I kill me too."  
"Honestly...if you actually had the chance to meet the Queen, or any of the guardians, for that matter…what   
would you do," he probed.  
Alex thought for a moment. "Hmm...I'd probably shake her hand, and then introduce myself. I'd tell her that   
she was dazzling beautiful, that she had curves to die for, and I'd add that I'm single. I'd also have some sort of   
expensive gift ready. Not to mention the kneeling, the professing of the undying love, the candlelight dinners..." Alex   
smirked as he finished. Kyle had let his head fall on the metal railing with a soft clank.  
"Come on, be serious! I mean, wouldn't it be the greatest thing if we even got to see one in person?"  
He sipped his cocoa in a moment of thought. "…Yeah, I guess so." His words flowed a bit rougher than his   
drink. "But you've got to be realistic. They don't just make publicity runs. You don't see advertisements with their   
stamp of approval or anything."  
Kyle leaned against the railing once more, and gazed upward. "True...but maybe…someday, maybe one will   
come here…"  
"Hoping for a particular one, are we?"  
"Do you ever think about anything besides women? Or do you actually have the rest of your brain in that big   
head of yours?"  
"Of course I think about other things." Alex had a smile on his face that hinted he was up to something.  
"Oh yeah? Could have fooled me. Like what?"  
Alex set his cocoa down, and quickly wrapped his arms around Kyle. "You know that I just can't resist you   
when you're frustrated, honey…"   
Kyle elbowed Alex in the stomach, who figured that he probably deserved it. "Goddamn you, I shouldn't   
have bothered asking..."  
Alex snickered to himself. "Oh, hit me harder, baby..."  
"I'm warning you, smart guy. Blackmail makes a wonderful income source."  
"Okay, okay, settle down. I can resist my attraction to your manly pecs for the moment." He laughed under   
his breath before Kyle made a motion that suggested he might throw his hot cocoa on Alex's head. The two of them   
settled down quickly enough, and their conversation continued.  
"Seriously, though, if a guardian showed up here for some reason, which one would you be hoping for," Kyle   
asked. Alex sipped his cocoa, then leaned over the railing in thought.  
"That's a tough one…"  
"I'm sorry that I'm making you pick a specific one, mister suave and cool." Alex smiled in appreciation.  
"Apology accepted. Well, if I had to pick just one…I guess I would like to see the Queen. To see a living   
legend like her, well, the bragging rights alone would be bliss. Besides, you know that I'd have her digits within five   
minutes anyway."  
"News update: The Queen left her husband today to pursue a romantic fling with an idiotic sap from a   
backwater planet..." Kyle drummed on the metal railing to add effect.  
"Exactly." Alex winked. "How about you? Does one of the guardians have a secret shrine under your bed?"  
Kyle sipped his cocoa and chuckled. "Not exactly...I don't think I have a preference."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"They're all so famous…I'm not sure I'd have the guts to talk to one of them."  
"That's because you're just not the type who knows that he's large and in charge, my friend," Alex said. He   
turned to face an imaginary person in front of him. "Hi, I'm Alex, and you have got to be tired from running through my   
head all day long..."  
Kyle laughed to himself. He'd known Alex in preschool…they went way back. Alex was only a year older   
than he was, and he had always been the ladies man…though, whether the ladies thought so was up to debate. He   
had always been convinced of his own womanizing capabilities; His philosophy was that he was God's gift to women,   
and so he had better make use of himself. They'd basically been brothers to each other since as long as they could   
remember.  
He noticed that Alex was going for the last drops in his cup. "Done with your cocoa?"  
"Yeah. Mind taking it back down for me?"  
"Sure thing. I've got nothing better to do." Kyle grabbed both the mugs and headed for the lift. "I'll see you tomorrow   
at formation."  
"Right," Alex said. "Sweet dreams, honey."  
"Cut that out," Kyle snapped, and shut the lift doors without another word. Watching as the pod descended   
back down to the surface, Alex turned back to his watch, and chuckled.  
"Someday, that kid will learn not to take me too seriously."  
  
  
Being off duty for the night was a daily thing, but it never really lost its magic for Kyle.   
He thought back to his conversation with Alex, about the guardians. *I'd add that I'm single,* he said. Was it   
that simple? Were the guardians so normal?  
It was a foolish notion. The guardians were guardians…they weren't supposed to lead normal lives like him.   
Their definition of normal was something far different than what he saw as daily life. There were textbooks that told of   
the guardian's lives before they became the embodiment of the golden age. Supposedly, the guardians were just as   
normal as everyone else, once upon a time.  
He stopped over a bridge…well, over the bridge. The New Tiber was the only source of water on the moon,   
if you didn't count the shipments that were brought by the UEF every two months. When the moon had been   
terraformed, there were problems with the formation of the Water Table, so it was still righting itself naturally. Until   
then, the Queen had created the river to give the settlers some natural water and enjoyment. It passed by Selestria,   
and then by Alexandria in its course, eventually flowing into the unknown wastelands of Titania where it most likely   
boiled off as it roamed into the burning heat of the deserts. The New Tiber was exceptionally clear (the scientists and   
ecologists in the capital did a fantastic job of keeping the water purified), and so on this night, it was as smooth as a   
mirror. The water reflected his face perfectly, and his pseudo-double stared back at him deep in thought. A bluish-  
green hue lit the area of the river as the huge figure of the planet Uranus loomed in the sky. All was quiet, except for   
the occasional gust of wind or closing of a door. The river itself flowed rather slowly…no babbling sections of rapids or   
rushing waterfalls. Not many people stayed out after midnight, save the occasional Militia member such as himself.   
This kind of night was Kyle's favorite, where he could be truly alone and think his own thoughts.   
Absentmindedly, he reached down to his pocket and removed his prize possession…his pocket watch. It   
was inscribed with the royal symbol of the Earth. It had caught his eye when he went to Selestria for the annual Solar   
Fair. The representatives of the event on Earth had actually decided to hold it on his moon five years ago. *Since you   
like that watch so much, you can have it for your birthday* his mom had said. He had never told her that he picked it   
because he wanted to be closer to the guardians. It made him feel like he had a place among them…like his ambitions   
could somehow be put to good use someday if he kept it around.  
One story that he had learned was always his favorite…the 'History of the Guardians' textbook told of a   
woman that had been the Queen's best friend earlier in her life. They did everything together, even though that woman   
had no special power of her own. That woman was now the minister of finance in the government.  
It signaled to Kyle that it was possible for him to be friends with a guardian. Perhaps, someday, he would get   
the chance to talk to one, or to shake one's hand…or maybe even to make a lasting impression… *Oh, Kyle…so nice   
to see you again…* That's what they'd say. He knew they spoke in Japanese, but he spoke very little…he was   
originally of American descent. The language of the guardians sounded so natural to him, even if he couldn't   
understand it…  
"What I wouldn't give to be someone like Osaka Naru…"  
He gazed upward, looking for a sign. The stars, however, gave no answer beyond silent twinkles. They just   
stared back from their eternal place in the heavens.  
The wind picked up for a spell, snapping Kyle out of his trance. Thinking nothing of his problems, he   
continued to walk, but then stopped. A soft tune blew through the air, lingering as an echo in his mind.  
*How long has that been there?*   
*…Violin music?*  
He stepped off the bridge, trying to make out the origin of the soft melody. His ear led him down to the   
riverbank, which threaded out of Nyason and into the forests beyond. The tune continued, almost describing a picture   
in his mind. It drove him onward, drawing him as if he were summoned not of his own will. Closer and closer he came,   
and the call continued, beckoning in a voice he could not resist. It continued to grow inside his mind, swelling,   
pressing, forcing him into a run. It was almost a relief when he approached the source, and instinctively slowed down.  
A woman sat upon a large gray stone, playing to her celestial audience, violin in hand. Her fingers moved   
deftly across silvery strings, delicate horsehair singing in a language far more personal than words. A black dress of   
fine silk covered her slim form, necklace and earrings of shining aquamarine glinting against the glowing planet in the   
sky. Her face was a beautiful white, her eyes hypnotizing pools of teal. Long, rippling tresses of strangely natural   
aquamarine-colored hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, stopping only at her waist. She seemed as if she   
belonged among the grasses and flowers of the clearing.   
That moment lasted an eternity for Kyle. He stared for thousands of years in the space of a single instant.   
How many lifetimes did he live as he listened to her song…?  
And then, in the same strange way he had first come to hear this melody, it stopped.  
The woman put down her violin. Her eyes were closed, but a hint of a smile graced her features. "I can't see   
you, but I know you're there."  
Kyle froze, and realized that he had not done as good a job at remaining hidden as he had thought. The   
woman opened her eyes, and raised her head.  
"Come out, where I can see you."  
Slowly, he moved out from behind the trees that masked his position. The woman turned to face him and   
looked him over analytically.  
"It's a little late for children to be out," she stated. "Or do you always wander aimlessly through the forest?"  
"I was just wondering why a strange woman was sitting in the middle of a forest playing a violin in the middle   
of the night, actually."  
"Well met," she replied.  
"Do you want me to leave?"  
"You're going to stay no matter what I answer, so don't bother asking in the first place," the woman added.  
*Sharp...* He crossed the distance between them in a few steps. She looked to be about twenty-five or so,   
and certainly looked exquisite. Not surprisingly, Kyle asked to sit down.  
"I liked your song…so I stayed to listen to it, but I ended up staying for longer than I planned," Kyle said.   
"Sorry for disturbing you."  
The woman analyzed his words. "It's not a problem. I shouldn't have been out playing tonight."  
"No, no, your music was wonderful…I guess I should have just kept my distance."  
"Curiosity isn't a sin," the woman amended.  
"Well, you've certainly got me curious," he replied, with a slight grin. "I'm Kyle Anson."  
The woman drew her hands in and crossed her arms lightly. "You can call me Nerissa."  
Kyle puzzled over that for half a moment. "Nice to meet you, Nerissa."  
"Likewise, Mr. Anson," she replied, reaching for her violin case.  
"Just Kyle. The only people that call me Mr. Anson are my commanding officers."  
"Alright, Kyle." She was paying more attention to her violin than to her conversation partner. Kyle knew a   
sinking ship when he was on one.   
"So…ah, are you from around here?"  
"No, I'm visiting."  
"Oh really? From where?"  
"From Triton," she replied.  
"Wow, you live in the Neptunian system?" Kyle had a look of excited curiosity on his face. "I thought they just   
settled there."  
"Yes, they did," she replied, putting away her bow. "I had something to do with the founding of the colony."  
"Did you see the Queen?"  
Nerissa stopped for a moment only, then continued with her task. "Of course not, the Queen was under   
guard."  
Kyle paused for a second, thinking that he was sounding like an idiot. He idly wondered if it was still possible   
to save his dignity.  
"So, Nerissa…what brings you to our moon?" She smiled a bit and closed her violin case.   
"Personal reasons."  
"What?"  
"I'm meeting someone here tomorrow," she replied. "That's why I came."  
"Anyone special?" Kyle probably sounded a bit more interested than he should have been.  
"You could say that."  
"Then, I take it you don't feel like talking about it?"  
"Well, you're certainly inquisitive for a strange man in a forest. How would you react?"  
"Well, you're certainly mysterious for a strange woman in a clearing," he responded, with a smile. "I suppose   
we'd both be lying to each other."  
She laughed softly, then glanced at the stars above. "I suppose."  
Kyle looked up as well. "So…let's see…have you ever seen a guardian?"  
The woman turned to him. "Hm?"  
Realizing how strange the question sounded in the first place, he attempted to explain. "Well, I study their   
history…sort of a hobby, really, but I've never actually seen one of them."  
Nerissa analyzed the question for a moment. "No…"  
Kyle blinked, as if he expected a different answer. "Oh…" She closed her eyes, and her lovely face seemed   
stricken with exhaustion.   
"It's a great honor to meet a guardian, after all."  
"You think so?"  
"Who doesn't," she replied.  
Kyle wanted to answer, but he realized that anything he said would probably be a bit foolish. He held his   
tongue.  
"What are *you* doing here?" She turned a bit curious, but there was a drive behind her words. "You're just   
as strange as I am, you know."  
"I'm a member of the locally stationed militia. We're based in Nyason, over there," He said, turning and   
pointing in the direction of the settlement.  
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this little meeting of ours. I'm really not supposed to be   
here."  
"Sure, if that's what you want..."  
Nerissa rested both her hands on the rock beneath her, and nodded slightly. "Thank you." Kyle stood up.  
"Do you need a place to stay? You don't exactly look like you've got something planned…no offense."  
"I don't think I'll need one," she said. "I enjoy sleeping outdoors."  
"It gets really cold here later on at night…you should come to the settlement and find someplace warm."  
"Exactly what are you asking?" She sounded a bit defensive. Kyle blushed a bit.   
"Well, if it means saving you from having to freeze to death? I suppose I'm asking you if you'd like to spend   
the night."  
She eyed Kyle suspiciously. "I thought you said you were with the military?"  
"Technically, yes…but if you're, ah, in some kind of trouble with the armed forces or something, it won't   
matter…" Upon further thought, Kyle realized that sounded quite ridiculous.  
"Nothing of the sort. I just don't like people all that much," she replied. Her voice sounded as if it was trying   
to replace something with forced anger.  
"You can ask the guards at the garrison gate…they have an extra room with a lock on the door," he offered.   
Nerissa closed her eyes in thought.   
"I'm afraid that it's too far out of my way…but thank you, for your hospitality. I haven't spoken to a kind   
person in so long…"  
Her voice trailed off…and so did she. Kyle snapped out of his listening trance to stop her from leaving.   
"Wait! You didn't tell me where you were going to stay instead!"  
"Well, that's none of your business. Good night."  
Her form silently melted into the surrounding forest. Within ten seconds, Kyle could no longer see the   
woman or hear any sign of her.  
*How strange...*  
Deciding that pondering this encounter would make a great way to pass the morning drills, Kyle put it out of   
his mind and started for home.*  
  
"Hey Kyle, wake up, the Guardians are here..."  
Click, boom. Bulls-eye. Mister Anson was up in a second. "Where? Which one?"  
Alex chuckled from his bunk, adjacent to Kyle's. "Good morning merry sunshine. And how are we today?"  
Kyle grabbed his pillow and threw it, hard, at Alex, who fell off his bed from the force.   
"You jerk! Don't lie to me like that!"  
Alex got back up on his bunk with a grin. "Who said I was lying?"  
"Shut up, wise guy," Kyle said, getting out of bed. "I hate mornings when I have to deal with your smart   
mouth."  
The barracks of the Titanian Militia were busy this morning, with volunteer sentries hustling and bustling with   
their daily tasks. Messages were delivered, weapons inventoried, and drills performed. Squads of five men were   
practicing with pulse rifles at the garrison's small firing range. The huge warp gate, old, dormant, and rusted with age,   
stood in the center of the base. It hadn't been used in twenty years. Men walked every which-way, busy in their   
assigned tasks. Hearing the activity outside only helped a little to wake Kyle up.  
"Have some coffee, sleepy." Alex offered Kyle a steaming mug, who accepted it warmly.  
"Caffeine, preferred by nine out of ten soldiers over Reveille in the morning. Aaaahh…I'm going back to   
bed."  
"Well, I hate getting up too, but at least I actually DO get up," Alex said. "Get your uniform, we're up for   
patrol duty today."  
"Oh, joy."   
Patrol duty was never very fun. It usually included marching several miles in the blistering wastelands of the   
planet, without meals and without much stopping at all. It was easily the number-one gripe among the men.  
"You sound happy," Alex said with a grin.  
"Yeah, I was really looking forward to busting my ass marching all over this god-forsaken rock. Shut up."  
"My, aren't we irritable this morning. Must be the caffeine kicking in." Alex kicked himself off the bed. "Hurry   
up, the last one outside has to carry the Pulse Cannon."  
"I am NOT lugging that huge thing all over the place." Kyle announced as he got out of bed and grabbed his   
uniform.  
"By the way, everyone's saying that you're in the orders of the day."  
Kyle looked up. "Oh really? What's up, cleaning duty later on?"  
"Nope, this is a direct order to you. From the colonel." Alex stood up, and shouldered his pack. "I bet he   
wants to talk to you about something."  
"Yeah, well, whatever it is, it had better not be about Daniels' rifle misfiring under his bunk," Kyle said,   
obviously hinting at something. Alex waved his hands in defense.  
"Hey, hey, I thought we agreed that we didn't know anything about that! Besides, it's orders, not a   
communiqué. I'd be a bit more smug if you were in trouble."  
Kyle sounded more interested in his reply. "Oh?"  
"Maybe you get to miss patrol duty after all," Alex offered, shrugging. He grabbed his rifle and slung it over   
his shoulder. "Well, if you do end up marching to hell and back with yours truly, I'll see you later."  
"Sure."  
Alex left in a quick jog, and Kyle tailed him only long enough to make it to the orders hub. He produced his   
personal organizer, and pointed the infrared node toward the red light located on top. Almost immediately, the symbol   
of the Titanian Militia appeared on the screen, followed by a text message:  
  
[June 19, 3126 (Thursday).]  
[Orders Assigned 0400.]  
[High Command is silent.]  
[Proceed with daily routines.]  
[Stevenson, Adams, Daniels; Inventory Armory at 1200.]  
[There is a temporary shortage of coffee due to replicator malfunction.]  
[Attn: Anson, Kyle - Input passcode for classified instructions.]  
  
It was just about the same as every other day, excepting the inventory assignments, the coffee thing, and of   
course, the section at the bottom.   
"You know, I don't seem to recall the Colonel ever giving anyone personalized orders before," Kyle said   
absentmindedly, looking over the message. "Well, at worst, he'll tell me that my parents want their son back."  
He keyed in his PIN number, and this appeared:  
  
[Your presence has been requested at the highest level.]  
[Your patrol duties are suspended temporarily.]  
[Report to Central Command at 0815.]  
  
Kyle blinked. "Well, that was certainly cryptic. I wonder what the Colonel wants?"  
  
  
It normally took a member of the militia about a minute, total, to walk from the barracks to the large building   
in the back of the compound. Of course, when you're the only guy in your unit who doesn't have to work patrol duty all   
day long with a ton and a half of stuff, you're bound to get a bit of lip.  
"Anson, what the hell are you doing mucking around like that? We've got half an hour before our patrol   
starts!"  
Stevenson had his gear spread out on the parade grounds as he shouted. The unit was already preparing   
for the long hike. Kyle waved his organizer over his head like a get-out-of-jail-free card, a grin on his face.  
"Sorry Stevenson, I think I'll pass on your delightful company today. How about tea later?"  
"Ooh, look who's so special today," Vance chimed in, looking up from his preparations. A few other   
members of the squad gave a bit of their attention to the growing conversation.  
"Hey, as long as I get to sit in the Command Center while you guys let your feet fall off from running the   
hundred-meter dash, I could care less about your whining." Kyle gave the group a triumphant smirk. Shaking his head   
in amused disappointment, Alex looked up from his own work, leaning on his Pulse Rifle.  
"So, what'd it say, as if I didn't already know," he asked. Kyle crossed the parade ground over to his friend   
before giving a rather stern glance to the rest of the unit, who took the hint and went back to work. They faced each   
other once more. "Well?"  
"It really didn't say much," Kyle explained, handing his organizer to Alex. He read it quickly, then read it   
again slowly, as if he missed something. Kyle shrugged. "Told you."   
Alex handed it back. "You really shouldn't be showing classified information to your friends, y'know. And it's   
0810, you've only got five minutes."  
"I'm sure it's nothing really urgent." Kyle crossed his arms. "After all, there hasn't been anything really   
pressing since promotion reviews."  
"Well, that may be true, but I think everyone else is gonna kill you if you keep flaunting your immunity to   
patrol duty." Alex jerked his thumb at the other guys to accentuate his point. Kyle turned toward the squad and spoke   
a bit louder than he probably had to.  
"It's not my fault if the Colonel thinks I'm special. Maybe other people should start *taking a clue from how I   
act* or something."  
The other militia members looked up. "And it's not our fault if we beat the hell outta you for playing court   
jester, Anson," someone said. The rest of the guys let out a much-needed laugh.  
Alex gave Kyle's shoulder a soft hit. "Why don't you get going? I'll stall the enemy here."  
"I'm so touched that you'd give your life in my defense."   
"Are you kidding? I'd take an assassination for you! Well…not in the chest…or the head…well, not my leg   
either…and definitely not the back…"  
"Yeah, I get the point, smart guy. Have fun."  
"You too," Alex said.  
  
The Command Center was the largest structure in the garrison, next to the colossal warp gate that stood in   
the center of the compound. 'Count the Bricks' was a generic punishment sometimes inflicted on members of the   
militia, which referred to making someone count the unfathomable number of polished cement stones used in the   
building's construction. Inside, the building was surprisingly well-furnished for a military command post. Colonel   
Danielowicz was a collector of art and sculpture, and his taste in furniture was equally exotic. As a result, their   
command center ended up looking much like a luxury hotel.  
Kyle strolled in, stopping to wipe his feet quickly. Any dirt on the floors would quickly be attributed to him. *I   
wish he'd get rid of those expensive rugs…they make life so much harder.* Of course, the rugs were nothing   
compared to the vases, paintings, and other strange collections of oil paint, canvas, marble, and twists of metal.   
Wandering through the forest of modern artistic expression, he reached a pair of walnut double-doors, and knocked   
twice. The sound was hard and rich, and it echoed in the large entryway. As soon as it had faded, it was replaced with   
a voice.  
"Come in, Anson. You're right on time."  
Kyle blinked. *He sounds awful sure that it's me…then again, how many other people would be in here this   
time of day?* Grasping one of the fat brass door handles, Kyle pushed inward, trying to remember his military   
protocols for formal meetings…  
He forgot all of that when Nerissa smiled back at him from the Colonel's desk, which threw any semblence of   
composure to the wind as the door shut behind him. She was standing next to the Colonel's chair, arms comfortably   
crossed behind her back, a smile on her face. The Colonel himself was going over some papers that had originated in   
a folder, marked with an official seal.  
"Nerissa! What are you doing here?" It didn't really register at the time that he was supposed to be standing   
at attention and reporting for his orders. The Colonel didn't seem to mind. He turned to his companion with a raised   
eyebrow.   
"Nerissa?"  
"It's my name," she replied. A red half-jacket was draped over a plain pink blouse that she wore, with a   
matching loose pink knee-skirt and a pair of expensive-looking black shoes. Her hair looked the same as it had the   
other night...although that was more in the fact that Kyle thought it looked just as beautiful as he remembered it. He   
pointed sideways at Nerissa while speaking to his commanding officer.   
"Sir, what's she doing here?" The Colonel leaned back in his chair, throwing an odd gaze at Kyle.   
"She's got every right to be here, why do you ask?"  
Kyle turned to Nerissa, puzzled. "What is he talking about?"  
She drew her own organizer from a conservative purse she carried, and with a tap, her security access card   
popped out of the side. Unlike Kyle's, hers was gold-colored.  
"Miss Nerissa here is with the UEF Security Branch," Colonel Danielowicz explained. "She was sent here on   
orders from the highest authority. Her military rank is somewhat equivalent to a Stratego."  
Kyle managed a few blinks. Nerissa tilted her head a bit. "Something wrong, Kyle?"  
"Uh, no…ah, I mean no sir, or no ma'am, or, um…"  
"Anson, pull yourself together," the Colonel said, closing his eyes.  
"Yes ma-uh, sir, um, Colonel…" When he figured that he couldn't mess up any further, he saluted, and   
snapped to attention. Much to his surprise, neither of his superiors said anything in return, and Nerissa smiled a bit   
more.   
"It seems that I've decided to take you up on your invitation after all, Mister Anson."  
"So I've figured." He tried his best to sound respectful.  
Nerissa turned to the Colonel, and dropped a small packet she had been holding onto his desk. "I think you'll   
find the data results to be very interesting. Go over it with your senior commanders this afternoon."  
"Yes ma'am. Have a pleasant trip."  
"Thank you."  
She walked out from behind his desk, and took a curving course toward the door. Kyle shot her a puzzled   
look as she passed by.  
"Follow me," she added.  
  
His first reaction to her quarters was that they were very comfortable. Ornate rugs, soft lighting, and perfect   
temperature were all indicators of the atmosphere she preferred. His second reaction was amazement to the amount   
of paintings that adorned the room. Wonderful pictures of all kinds, of all subjects, and of all moods were strewn about,   
sitting on chairs, lying on tables, hanging on walls, and propped up on the floor. It could have been an art gallery if   
there were enough room left for more than five people to stand.  
Nerissa had walked into one of the back rooms, leaving Kyle to indulge himself in his surroundings. He   
moved about the small open pathway of floor space, the paintings forming a continuous gallery of artistic expression.   
One was of an ocean, with a sky of stars above, and a pearl white moon that cast a reflection on the water. The   
caption read, 'Serenity.'  
"Serenity, huh?" Kyle chuckled to himself in thought. "The one person I'd like to meet and instead of the   
Queen, I get a painting."  
There were others that caught his eye; people staring into a reflecting pool, only to be greeted with an image   
that was not their own; a blonde-haired woman, standing amidst a spectacular windstorm; a picture of a woman turned   
to stone; a picture of-  
He stopped.  
That picture…  
That picture of the stone woman was looking at him.  
A smile was on her face. A warm, accepting smile. Her poise was one of nobility.  
Everything seemed to become dark. The universe shrank until it was just big enough to accommodate the   
two of them.  
She was magnificent. But her eyes couldn't hide her horror and pain.  
The eyes…they bored into his skull…they were so empty, so hollow…  
So alone…she looked so alone…  
  
tasukete  
  
Kyle gasped.  
  
tasukete  
  
He tried to turn away, but it had him. He couldn't escape.  
  
tasukete tasukete tasukete tasukete tasuk-  
  
"Kyle!"  
He blinked, and shook his head instinctively. His eyes opened, but the picture of the stone woman was   
gone.  
He had been staring at a mirror.  
"Kyle!" Nerissa tried again, shaking his arm. He turned to face her slowly. "What were you doing?"  
Kyle glanced at where the stone woman had been, a look of confusion and puzzlement across his features.   
"That mirror…" Nerissa glanced at it, obviously confused, but wanting to figure out what in the world was   
wrong.   
"Now honestly, Kyle, you're not THAT bad looking…" He might have laughed if the incident hadn't disturbed   
him so badly.   
"N…nevermind…I guess I just need to get more sleep or something…"  
Waiting a moment to make sure he would be alright on his own, Nerissa went back to what she had been   
doing, organizing paintings. A few more had been brought out from a back room, and set on the remaining empty   
easels. When it became clear that Nerissa had no intent of initiating a conversation, Kyle jumped in of his own accord.   
"I don't suppose you're going to give me any kind of explanation as to why you're here?"  
Righting herself, Nerissa gave the painting she had just placed a critical stare. "I seem to remember you   
inviting me to stay. What's wrong with taking a friendly invitation?"  
"You didn't tell me anything about your military rank the first time we met," Kyle pointed out.  
"Then again, you didn't ask," she added. "You really didn't make too much of an attempt at details before   
you invited me to stay at a military installation. I wonder what Internal Affairs would think if they heard about this…"  
Kyle weakly gave his reply. "That's not fair…"  
"Life isn't fair, Kyle, and neither am I."  
She brushed past him with haste, heading for the door. "I'm finished here. We have work to do."  
  
  
Kyle shielded his eyes from the bright, cold sun as he exited the building, but Nerissa didn't slow down in the   
slightest. Apparently, something big was going on, and he wasn't someone who was supposed to be clued in on the   
truth. Alex had gathered their unit outside the building, and everyone stood at attention in two rows of seven. His   
place in front was missing, but he figured he was going to have better things to do today besides stand in formation.   
Nerissa, meanwhile, had made her way to the front of the little assembly. The defiance in her eyes that Kyle had seen   
only a moment ago was now banished from her aura of calm. The air seemed to part before her composure. When   
she was satisfied that the unit was giving her their undivided attention, she opened her purse to remove the same   
golden card he had seen earlier, holding it aloft. Kyle did his best to look as if he knew what was going on.  
"This card represents a level nine security clearance, subsection UEF Security Intelligence Operations. I'm   
sure all of you know what it means, so I won't patronize you beyond saying that I outrank most anyone in the service.   
As of today, I've become the active commander of your unit."  
There was no way Kyle could conceal his surprise after that one. His face twisted into a surprised gawk.   
Murmured comments drifted through the assembled men. Nerissa paused a moment, then continued, not bothering to   
wait for them to cease their whispering.  
"You may refer to me as Nerissa, I don't have use for ma'am or sir. My requests of you are very simple;   
when I say for you to do something, I need you to do it and do it quickly. I'm here on an important mission, and we   
don't have much time. I fear I've waited too long already, so speed is critical with everything we do. As such, I've   
arranged to borrow a little toy for our use from your Colonel. I'm going to need thirteen of you to function as gunners,   
and two of you to join me on the bridge to run the craft. Mr. Anson will be accompanying me as a liaison to all of you.   
Are there any volunteers for the bridge positions?"  
Kyle blinked. She was talking about the Picket Cruiser that was assigned to the base. That thing had   
enough firepower to stop a minor armed rebellion...he wasn't ever able to figure out why it had been left in the care of   
the militia. All they knew was that it was a lot of work to keep it properly maintained and clean. Why would they be   
taking it on the patrol?  
Alex looked around, noted that no one else was even thinking of taking one for the team, and then stepped   
forward with a grin. "I'll follow you anywhere, miss. Name's Alex Saunders, Operations Corporal. I'm your man."  
"Have you ever flown one of these ships, Corporal?" Nerissa's arms floated into a crossed position behind   
her back.  
"No miss, but with your close instruction, I'm sure I'll do fine."  
Nerissa smiled back, looking amused. "The only people that call me 'miss' are old men that wish they were   
young enough to date women like myself, or young men not smart enough to realize that they don't have a chance in   
the first place."  
"I'd be number two, miss," he replied, with a wink. To Kyle's great surprise, she seemed to think it was funny.   
"Ma'am is bad, but miss is worse, Mister Saunders. You'd do well to remember that. Alright, you're in. Are   
there any others?"  
No one spoke. Luckily, none of them had to.  
"I'm in." A female voice proclaimed.  
Kyle turned to his left, spotting the speaker as she walked toward the assembled group. She must have   
been new to the militia, he didn't know her face. Most people in the barracks got acquainted soon after they joined.   
The girl looked to be about his age, dark hair tied back tight in a braid. Her uniform was impeccable, and it fit her quite   
well. *I bet Alex is paying extra special attention to this one...* She stopped at the front of the line, a few feet from   
where Alex was 'analyzing' her behind her back. Nerissa looked the newcomer over nonchalantly.   
"Who are you?"  
"Cassy Laurens, Communications Corporal," she responded. "I'm reporting for duty, and I'd like to   
volunteer."  
Even though he was the unit leader, Kyle didn't recall anything in the weekly memorandums about his squad   
getting a new friend.   
"Orders?" Nerissa's voice was crisp. Cassy produced her organizer and handed it to Nerissa, who read the   
screen quickly, then handed it back.  
"I'd like to help out." Cassy repeated.  
"I heard you the first time, Miss Laurens," Nerissa reprimanded. "Any particular reason you want to   
volunteer?"  
"I was under the impression that this is a military unit, ma'am. Volunteering is supposed to be mandatory."  
"Oh, really?" Nerissa smiled slightly, and began to walk in a semi-circle around Cassy. "That's an interesting   
concept. Am I supposed to assume that you don't really want to volunteer for this?"  
Cassy maintained a neutral look, but something in her was definitely upset that she was being questioned   
like this. "I'm better qualified for the job than anyone else here." Nerissa stopped directly behind her.   
"Rather presumptuous, don't you think?"  
"It's hard to lose when you're aware of your opponent's hand."  
"I was going to ask you if you wanted to concede, for just that reason," the older woman shot back.  
"Why not raise the stakes? You don't have anything to lose unless you're bluffing," Cassy replied.  
Nerissa considered that for a moment, and then smiled. "Alright Miss Laurens, we'll see how you do. Mister   
Saunders, you're with me. The rest of you, assign yourselves weapons positions."  
With a hustle of activity, the lines broke and everyone gathered their gear. Kyle looked around for Alex, but   
his friend wasn't visible amid the commotion. He decided to take in stride next to Nerissa. There were enough   
questions he wanted to ask to fill a book.  
"How do you know so much about a UEF Picket Cruiser? Last time I checked, UEF Security doesn't require   
their officers to memorize the fleet technical manuals."  
"I like to read," she responded, striding forward.  
"You know the crew compliment and weapons positions of a Picket Cruiser off the top of your head? What   
kind of person memorizes that sort of stuff?"  
"You?" Nerissa smirked. Kyle blushed, but Alex jumped into step on Nerissa's right, saving him from further   
embarrassment.  
"You know, I lost my Compin Number yesterday…can I have yours?"  
"Try punching in zero-seven and see what happens," Nerissa said back.  
"I guess that's supposed to represent my ranking out of a hundred. Don't I get bonus marks for artistic   
expression?"   
"If you come up with a pickup line worse than that one, I'll respect you." Both of them chuckled.  
"I'm on it, beautiful," Alex said, blowing her a kiss and then rushing on board.  
Nerissa turned to Kyle. "Friend of yours?"  
"Ah…you could say that." He decided to attempt to impress her. "You might want to tell him that you're   
already taken."  
"I don't seem to remember ever telling you I'm engaged. What gave you that idea?"  
"You're wearing a ring on your left hand."  
She paused at the foot of the cruiser's loading ramp, thinking for a moment.  
"...What of it?"  
"Well, I don't mean to pry. I just managed to spot it the other night," Kyle added.  
Nerissa glanced at it, and smiled a bit. "It's a symbol of a promise."  
"So, am I to take that as a no?"  
She shrugged apathetically. With a sigh, Kyle started walking. "I honestly give up …"  
He got halfway up the ramp before Nerissa stopped him. "Ex obscurita sumus luxate."  
Kyle's head didn't turn.  
"It means 'From the darkness, light.' So as it is with life, so as it is with answers. You'll get your truths soon   
enough."  
There were a few seconds of silence.  
"I'll see you on the bridge," Kyle said softly, and walked aboard.   
  
  
The mechanical portal leading to the command center of the Picket Cruiser gave a hiss of compressed air,   
and then snapped open into the walls with a thud. Cassy walked swiftly inside, tailed closely by Alex, then Nerissa,   
and Kyle. It was a low-ceilinged room, with three consoles positioned in a triangular arrangement in the center. A   
large viewport took up the front and about half of the left and right sides of the bridge, revealing the bright morning   
outside. Cassy and Alex took the Port and Starboard pilot stations without bothering to decide which would get which.   
Nerissa stood nearby.  
Kyle sat down in the center chair with a satisfying thud and put his headset on. He figured that Nerissa   
wouldn't want to directly command the cruiser, so he thought that she intended him to work the coordination console.   
"All stations report."  
Alex sat next to Cassy in his seat and got his headset on. The bridge lights flickered on as he did so, it   
looked as if the guys down in Engineering were powering up the core. He pressed a button toward the top of his   
console, and the screens leapt to life. "Port Piloting is go."  
Cassy had beaten him to the punch by only a second or two. She fitted the small headset into her ear and   
started her preflight checks. "Starboard Piloting is go."  
"Give me a check on all weapons positions," Kyle ordered, affixing his own headset. "Engineering, main   
engines need to be online in one minute."  
"Bridge, Engineering; All equipment functioning normally. Preparing initialization."  
"Pulse Cannons one through four, give me a go or no go," Alex said, flipping switches.  
"Pulse Cannons five through eight, report," Cassy said right back.  
"Initiate pulse drives," Kyle ordered. "All hands, prepare for departure."  
Cassy flipped a switch on her panel. The sleek cruiser gave a jump, and floated into the air as if it were   
made of paper. The gravity inside seemed to lessen a bit.   
"Pulse drives activated and functioning within normal parameters. Power relay systems operating at 94%   
efficiency."  
"All weapon systems report ready, Kyle. Tactical systems are on standby," Alex relayed.  
"Right, let's take her out. Engage main engines. Let's see how fast we can get this thing to go."  
Outside, the cruiser rose into the air as the pulse drives hummed, rising over the walls of Nyason and then   
gently falling to the earth once more. Suddenly, the engines gave a whine of power, and the induction coils fired with a   
tremendous roar. The cruiser sped away until it was but a small twinkle in the distance.  
Everything seemed to be fine as Kyle checked his indicators. Alex gave a glance over to Cassy, who was   
hard at work making sure her console was operating efficiently. He gave a wry grin.   
"You're pretty good with your hands."  
"Shut up. Commander, my screens show a Y-axis deficiency of five degrees in the port rudder calibration."   
Alex gave an obviously rehearsed look of rejection and leaned back in his seat. Kyle tapped a few keys on   
his navigation readout.   
"Hm, wonder why it's doing that…move left rudder plus five degrees, and recalibrate," Kyle said, sending his   
calculations over to Cassy's console. Nerissa snuck up next to Kyle when he wasn't looking.   
"Done this before?" He turned his head a little at the sound of her voice, but then went back to what he was   
doing.   
"Once. We all have to go through training for this thing, even though we never use it."  
"You know, it might be none of my business, but you forgot to disengage the fuel constrictors when you   
started the engines," Nerissa chided.  
"We haven't had a working set of fuel constrictors since the original ones broke down two years ago. We   
make do with repairs," Kyle explained. He paused, and then threw her a mildly annoyed look. "If you're from UEF   
Security, why don't you get us a new pair?"  
"I'll see what I can do," she responded, with a chuckle.  
Alex finished all the system startups and gripped the control matrix. "We're ready to go, Ma'am. Where to?"  
"Set heading zero-one-five degrees. We're going to head north-northeast until we get to our destination."  
"And what exactly is our destination?" Alex keyed in the coordinates as he spoke.  
"I'll be perfectly willing to tell you that when you outrank me, Corporal."  
"I love a woman who won't let me boss them around, you know." Alex chimed in.  
"Hey, stop messing around and get it in gear, smart guy," Cassy piped up. "Two-thirds throttle."  
"Right, two-thirds," Alex responded, pushing the matrix forward, and giving it a jerk to the left. The cruiser   
blasted over the grasslands of Titania, which slowly began to turn into sparse patches of desert. Kyle felt a lurch as   
the engines shifted into overdrive. Nerissa made sure that everything was going well, then sat in one of the vacant   
seats and opened her purse.  
"So, what does a high-ranking military officer carry in her purse? Poison lipstick? Proximity-detonation nail   
polish?"  
"What do you think I carry in it, Kyle?"  
"Do I look like I carry a purse? It's not like I know what you women keep in there. I do just fine without one."  
"So I take it that means you don't want to guess?"  
"Do you ever give a straight answer?" Kyle sounded a bit frustrated, which was predictable.  
"What do you think?" Nerissa smiled coquettishly. Alex chuckled quietly to himself, but Kyle heard him   
anyway, and pointed an accusing finger.  
"You be quiet, smart guy."  
"I can't help it, you're just too funny. You're not supposed to ask a woman what's in her purse," Alex   
explained.  
"And why is that, O lord of all answers?"  
"Because some things were never meant to be revealed to the simple male folk." Nerissa laughed after   
hearing that. Kyle turned red in frustration.  
"You can call us whatever you like, but at least we don't have to carry purses. I couldn't stand walking   
around with all that stuff."  
"Well, we're here for a reason, and that's to carry things for the female gender. Can I get that for you,   
Ma'am?" Alex shot a glance over to the teal-haired woman, who waved a hand in response.  
"Oh, give it a rest already," Cassy chided in. "You shouldn't act like that unless you know the person."  
Alex quickly turned to Cassy, and flashed his patented grin. "I'm sorry, angel, we haven't met…I'm Ale-"  
Cassy promptly slapped him, and he recoiled like an injured animal. Kyle nearly fell out of his chair laughing.   
"What the hell did you do that for?!"  
"You're not my type," Cassy stated.  
"You didn't have to SLAP me!"  
"I beg to differ. I think you had rather indecent intentions," she chided.  
"Oh, you have to give him a little leeway, he was just trying to introduce himself," Nerissa cut in.  
"The last time I checked, the only men who actually introduce themselves with a pickup line make their home   
in bars."  
Alex gave a small 'hmph' of protest, and all was silent until Kyle started laughing again.  
"What the hell is so funny?"  
"You went down in flames, big man," Kyle said, through a huge grin.  
"Oh, get back to work," Alex demanded, and resumed his duties silently. Nerissa swiveled in her chair to   
face Kyle.   
"Your friend is quite the Casanova."  
"Tell me about it," Kyle responded, flicking switches.  
"Hey Kyle," came a voice over the intercom. "this is Stevenson down in gunnery four. Where are we going?"  
"That's need to know information, and you don't need to know, Stevenson," Kyle said back, quite pleased   
with himself. "Not that I know either. It's a surprise."  
"Wow, that was helpful. See if I ever ask you anything again," he said back, and closed the channel. Kyle   
turned to look for Nerissa, but she was out of her seat and staring out the main viewport.  
"Exactly where ARE we going? We're not just out here for fun, are we?" Nerissa didn't turn around.   
"How far have we traveled?"  
Cassy caught the request, and tapped her console. "About seventeen kilometers."  
"That should be enough. Set us down here."  
"Yes ma'am," Kyle responded, a bit disconcerted. Nerissa's voice was full of intent, and it spooked him a bit.   
"Set her down, Alex."  
"All stop, aye," Alex responded, powering down the engines and working a few other tasks at the same time.   
"Landing struts in position…"  
A deep thud from below their feet signaled that the ship had touched down. Kyle checked the holomap on   
his console. They were pretty far away from the settlement now…but the odd thing was that they were in the middle of   
nowhere. He couldn't imagine what Nerissa intended to accomplish by bringing them out here.  
"Alright, I'm leaving the ship on business. Your orders are to proceed onward on your normal patrol route.   
Since you have the cruiser, your route today will include Sirtar Canyon."  
Alex blinked. "Where the heck is that?"  
"Out in the center of the wastelands, I think," Kyle answered. "Why Sirtar Canyon?"  
"Because I want you to check it out, that's why."  
"Blah blah blah, do this, do that…" Alex mumbled softly to himself, punching buttons a bit harder than usual   
in protest.  
"You won't be able to reach me, so if you have something significant to report, come back to this spot. I'll be   
waiting for you."  
"Right," Kyle answered. "Good luck with whatever you're going to do out there."  
"Thanks," Nerissa said back, walking toward the doors.  
Nerissa left the bridge, and Kyle returned to his duties.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Encounters

Chapter 2  
~Encounters~  
  
  
The barrier between titanium plating and burning sand vanished in a blast of searing heat as the aft loading   
door opened. A deep sound akin to the roaring of a demon accompanied the severe change of temperature, as if   
some infernal monster were welcoming you to an eternity of scorching solitude. Slim tendrils of a burning breeze   
lapped at Nerissa as she departed, but they dared not touch her. Incubated sand whipped through the air like the   
demon whips of the taskmasters of hell, but they dared not harm her. The planet itself trembled in fear at her   
presence.  
Water smites the mightiest of flames.  
These were the wastelands, the part of Titania that faced the sun eternally. Because of the rotation of   
Uranus and how Titania spun around it, one side of the planet was covered in eternal daylight, the other in frozen   
darkness. Nyason and Titania Hold were both located on the thin belt of inhabitable land between the day and night   
sides. Because the moon twisted a little along its axis in relation to the sun, it gave the impression of night and day.   
But out here, in the wastelands, time was nonexistent. Out here, nothing changed. While it wasn't very hot or bright in   
the cities, the ground itself seethed and writhed in the wastelands of the dayside. The hellish furnace was a place only   
the most foolish of fools even dared to venture.  
It was into this place that Nerissa went, alone.  
Her hair whipped about her pale face as the huge cruiser lifted off once more, and she managed to keep her   
footing as the huge blast from the engines threw it away at incredible speed. There she stood, watching it fly farther   
and farther away, and in a twinkle of sunlight, it vanished from her view. Still, she stared, until the dust settled, and she   
made sure that no one was nearby. Only then did she begin to walk.  
The wastelands swallowed her into their endless expanses. Her face read nothing, her expression blank.   
Her footsteps were methodical. Her breathing was regular. It was as if she was moving not of her own will. It was the   
final leg of a journey long in the making.  
Indeed, her objective was far from trivial.  
Her footsteps would have trailed for miles…but the hellion waves of the wasteland winds washed them away   
in the instant that they left their mark on the desert floor. As if she never had come this way. As if she hadn't existed in   
the first place.  
*From what sort of world did this woman come, to be deeply saddened and so much in pain?*  
*I know not, my friend, but the fates have said this: The gods should be wary of echoes of flame.*  
Other thoughts quietly escaped her lips, thoughts of sorrow, thoughts of regret, thoughts of despair. Bright   
pangs of happier times forced their way through at points, but their shines were drowned amidst her own evils.   
And still, Nerissa continued her journey, through the burning sands of the enemy's maw. An island of color in   
a world of beige.  
Up and down, over dunes and valleys. Every step brought her closer to her goal. And every step brought   
forth another regret.  
*Does He send this boy to pierce me upon my cross of fate…?*  
And as the last of an avalanche of thoughts assailed her mind, a trail of tears began to fall in her wake.  
The shining drops ran into the burning wastes and dry sands, a greater distance than any mortal could hope   
to walk. The currents of heat brooded in their impotence, the barrier they inexorably formed now pierced by an   
invincible intruder. The unforgiving desert was forced to support her feet as she traversed the untamed wilds.  
In the inhospitable wastelands of this moon, nothing lived, nothing came, and nothing went.  
Except for Nerissa.  
  
  
"We'll be over the canyon in ten seconds."  
Air was torn to ribbons as the bow of a United Earth Federation picket cruiser knifed through the sky. While   
the atmosphere blew by at incredible velocity, the mood within was mysteriously calm. It was as if time was ticking   
down in some unknown way, and they were powerless to stop it…  
Alex carefully guided the propulsion control matrix, using a gentle touch that he really wasn't accustomed to   
using at this time of the morning. An idle thought of bliss crossed his mind as he reminded himself of the coffee   
shortage, and the fact that he was fortunate enough to grab some. The beans required for the drink were grown as a   
priority crop inside the garrison, along with potatoes and wheat. Of those three, it was a given that the coffee beans   
would be saved first in case of an accident. *Heaven forbid we not have our daily wake-up drink.* A red light blinked   
on his holomap, and he frowned, carefully urging the matrix back to the left. The light winked out, and he checked the   
rest of the display for any aberrations that might be present. The instruments on the cruiser provided him with a radar   
scan, and that data was then compiled and translated into a three-dimensional map, beamed directly into his optic   
nerve.  
"Make sure you keep an eye out, Alex…that map data isn't exactly one-hundred percent accurate, you   
know," Kyle chided.   
The map he was using was based on data compiled during an early survey expedition into the Titanian   
wastelands. Even the military had no purpose for coming out this far; there was nothing of use, save a few   
unremarkable mineral deposits. An eternity of barren deserts, as far as the eye could see. And now, they were racing   
toward a place almost directly on line with the radiation coming from the center of the Solar System. The piercing   
sunlight was so intense in the thin atmosphere that temperatures often reached one hundred and seventy degrees   
above zero. The mapping expedition that had once dared to come to this place was a legend in of itself. NSM-X1,   
Commander Ian Clarke presiding, had departed from Nyason with the intent to chart the entire moon and create a   
navigation map. The map that was now being used by the militia.  
The mission ended in disaster. They were poorly equipped for the rigors of the day side. Three of their   
number perished from heat exhaustion. When the four survivors limped back to civilization, they would not speak of   
the days they spent alone amidst the burning sands.   
And now, here they were. The vast expanses of the Titanian wastelands stretched to the horizon, with the   
occasional exception of a small mountain or two, and the remains of massive impact craters, which sped by beneath   
their feet. Alex's map showed the research expedition's findings in green, but the actual readings taken by the   
instruments on board the cruiser often told him differently, superimposing the present-day landmarks in yellow.  
"This map is really out of date…there could be a giant crevasse here, and we wouldn't even spot it until we   
were right on top of it, Kyle," Alex remarked, leaning his head to the side.  
"It can't be helped, we don't really have time to play junior cartographers." Kyle glanced at his own readouts,   
and the console gave a few beeps of alarm back at him.  
Kyle sighed, and Cassy narrowed her eyebrows.   
"There it is."  
In a few more seconds, the ground itself vanished, and gave way to a cavernous abyss. The largest   
landmark on the entire planetoid, and a place only a handful of individuals had ever dared to go, Sirtar Canyon. Since   
Titania didn't have an atmosphere until recently, it was subject to the bombardment of angry groups of asteroids, space   
dust, and radiation storms. Some horrible catastrophe had caused this massive gorge, and it would exist until the   
moon itself was destroyed, no doubt. A meaningless feature on a map, amid hundreds and hundreds of names.  
Why Nerissa would tell them to go to Sirtar Canyon, Kyle did not know.  
"Can we take the cruiser into the canyon?" Kyle walked to the starboard viewport, and eyed the land below.   
Cassy turned to her right and checked one of her monitors.   
"The temperature at the bottom is seventy-plus degrees…we can go in, but I wouldn't suggest going outside   
for a tan."  
"Well, I wouldn't worry. I don't plan on staying here any longer than we have to. Alex, you picking up   
anything strange on the EM spectrum?" Turning his chair around to face a small console, Alex switched his headset   
interface over, and glanced at the readings now being displayed.   
"Sensors suggest that there's a…well, a something down there." He leant backwards and crossed his arms,   
still looking.  
"Was that another one of your jokes?" Kyle asked, rather annoyed.  
"No, not at all…whatever this thing is, it wasn't here when the cartographers mapped this place twelve years   
ago," Alex explained, placing a hand on his chin in thought. He reached out to tap a few keys on the equipment   
console, and looked over the new displays. "This thing is putting off all sorts of energy…radio, x-ray, microwave,   
gamma…I'm surprised it doesn't have its own holonet channel."  
Kyle looked down into the canyon, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Cassy, take us toward   
whatever this thing is…I want a closer look."  
"Right…pulse drives powering down. Alex, make sure the engines don't overheat, it's going to get real hot   
down there." Cassy watched her screen with intent. Alex nodded an affirmative, and switched back over to his piloting   
station.  
Adjusting his weight as the cruiser made its descent into the canyon, Kyle wiped a bead of sweat from his   
brow, and blinked in confusion. He was sure that the temperature was rising. The air was starting to get a bit muggy,   
and he noticed that the metal handrails were starting to sweat from condensation. Wiping some moisture off his   
intercom panel, he keyed in the code for main engineering.  
"Hey Williams, what's with environmental control? It's worse than the barracks in here!" Resting his weight   
on the panel, he looked around, and rubbed moisture off more of the instruments.  
"What environmental control? It broke three weeks ago," Williams' voice came back through the grated   
speaker. "And don't you whine to me, you've got it easy compared to us back by the damn core."  
"Tch…alright," Kyle replied, flipping off his intercom. "It looks like we're not going to be staying long, it's   
going to get way too hot in here."  
"Well, from what I'm seeing, we were hot already," Alex said, staring at Cassy.  
"Don't make me slap you again," Cassy threatened.   
"Whatever you say, sugar."  
Kyle lightly chuckled. The bottom of the canyon was coming up fast now, and the wind outside was   
becoming visible from all the sand it picked up. Soft metallic clinking noises began to frequent themselves as tiny   
rocks and pebbles slammed against the hull.  
"That's good, set us down," He said, before flipping his intercom once more. "Break out five heat suits, along   
with weapons rigged for weathering."  
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Alex asked, turning around in his seat and removing his headset.  
"I'm going out there." Kyle flicked off his intercom and headed for the bridge door.  
"Not without me you aren't."  
"Nah, you can stay here and play with Miss Laurens."  
"Really?" Alex asked, with interest.  
"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Cassy asked, giving Alex a look that clearly stated that she'd rather   
stab herself with a rusty nail.  
"Oh, come now, I thought there was supposed to be some kind of bond between the people that are in the   
military. Y'know, like war buds," He explained, patronizing Cassy relentlessly.  
"Don't get all buddy-buddy with me, bucko." Standing up in her best military fashion, she faced Kyle. "Sir, I   
request permission to join the disembarkation maneuvers."  
"Denied." Kyle managed to rattle that off without even thinking, and jumped into the lift before he could be   
yelled at.  
Dropping her shoulders in defeat, Cassy glanced over to the equipment locker, where Alex was making a   
busybody of himself. "What are you doing, anyway?"  
Turning around with a smile, he chuckled, and then went right back to rummaging. "I'm finding some   
romantic music. Can't very well have a romantic dinner without matching atmosphere."  
Resigning herself to her fate, Cassy fell into the command chair, and sighed.  
"I hate the military."   
  
  
Incredible blasts of heated air writhed about the cruiser as it descended to the canyon floor. Upon   
touchdown, the engines kicked up so much sand that the entire section they had set down upon was concealed by a   
thick cloud of whirling dust. As the sand drifted in clouds around the shining picket cruiser and then settled, five forms   
silently emerged, and stepped across the soft canyon floor with weapons ready. The silence was overwhelming at   
times, until something that the cartographers liked to call the Tunnel Effect happened. The only thing that ever   
reached down this far was an occasional gust of wind that came tearing down the steep walls of the valley and   
screaming through the enclosed rock walls. The sheer force was enough to shatter boulders to rubble, and the noise it   
made was akin to the screeching of a bird of prey magnified several times. The suits they wore provided a semblence   
of protection, at least from the wind itself. No one could doubt that they wouldn't do much against an avalanche.   
Understandably, Kyle wanted to get this overwith quickly.   
The singular piece of scanning equipment they could find that was heat-resistant was a G7-series EM   
scanner, a little short-range thing that was built at least ten years ago. It softly beeped in intervals, the length of time   
between the tones an indication of how close they were. Kyle and his party slowly fanned out in a V shape as they   
followed the guidance of their only tool. Holding his weapon in one hand and reading the instrument's output with the   
other, he glanced about in curiosity.  
"What are we looking for?" A crewman by the name of Vance asked from the right flank. "We've got to be   
able to see this thing if it's giving off as much radiation as Alex says it is..."  
"Your guess is as good as mine," Kyle responded. "The fact that we CAN'T see it has me worried, though."  
"That doesn't help much."  
"What, you think I know what we're out here for or something?" He turned his head a bit to face Vance.  
"Well, you were sitting around with that Nerissa woman for awhile. Didn't she tell you anything?"  
"No." Kyle wasn't paying much attention anymore.  
"That doesn't help much either."  
The sensor unexpectedly decided to undergo a system restart mid-stride, so Kyle turned it off and on again   
to recalibrate it. Sweeping the sensor in a wide arc several times, he noted where the beeping was strongest, then   
confirmed it on the small readout screen.  
"Whatever this thing is, we're not going to miss it. I'd have to walk straight up to throw this sensor off."  
Looking up ahead, Kyle raised his rifle to point toward a formation of rocks. The other men glanced in the   
same direction, and nodded. The group continued on.  
The claustrophobia of his heat suit was starting to get at Kyle. He breathed heavily, and tried to get a bit   
more oxygen. The special material he wore was designed to be totally impervious to heat, which carried the minor side   
effect of trapping all your body heat inside. It was like living in a wet plastic bag, not comfortable at all.  
"How're we doing out there?"  
Alex's voice came through a bit grainy over his suit intercom. Kyle sucked in a deep breath and scanned his   
surroundings.  
"No sign of the source of the readings yet. It's hot as hell in these things, though."  
"Aw, tough it out. It builds character."  
"I wonder if you'd say the same thing if you were actually in one," He retorted, smirking a bit.  
"Hey, you decided that I wasn't coming. Besides, I think I'd rather have stayed here anyway."  
"I hope you're having a good time with Miss Laurens, Alex."  
Some disgusted laughter was heard in the background.  
"Oh, she's just fine. Apparently she has no opinion on the validity of human courtship rituals." His voice   
became distant for a moment as he shouted a few things away from the transmitter. "And she doesn't take a joke too   
well, either. So rude."  
Kyle chuckled. "We'll keep you posted."  
"Right. Cruiser out."  
As they continued on, Williams started paying more and more attention to the cliff faces. Adams, who was   
on the left flank next to him, followed suit and tried to make sense of what was so interesting.  
"The cliff walls are made of sandstone, that's why the bottom is so soft." Williams took a few steps out of   
formation to drag his hand across the face of the rock. "It's kind of strange, though...this looks like water erosion."  
"It's sandstone alright...but water erosion? I don't think so. Take a look, this rock is stained red under the   
'waterline'. I doubt water did this."  
Adams had always been a bit of a geology nut. He stopped for a moment to examine the cliff face in more   
detail. Kyle, Vance, and McGinnis went ahead at a slow pace.  
"I'd say this was something a bit thicker than water...and more corrosive, too. Look at how the rock is eaten   
away in these indentations..." He pointed with his free hand at some cuts and pits in the wall. "This is more akin to   
acid, or some kind of liquid coolant...either way, you'd have to go up or down the pH scale to do this. From the red   
color, I'd say it was some sort of high-test machine fuel..."  
"You're talking about the iron residue on the rocks...I get you. I bet it was left by the mapping expedition."   
Williams rested his free hand on his hip, and stared at the area in question. "I don't remember the report saying they   
had any fuel leaks, though..."  
"They probably didn't think it was significant enough to report," Adams added. "After all, it's just a little bit of   
gas..."  
Glancing around, Williams took on a cynical tone. "...I think we're wrong. These marks are all over the   
canyon."  
As the two of them analyzed the situation, Kyle and the others had stopped about fifty feet away. He was   
checking the scanner readings for anything abnormal in the energy spectrum. McGinnis decided to get a bit curious,   
set aside his rifle, and peeked over his commander's shoulder.  
"Get past the high score on that game yet?" Kyle generally ignored him, but then knitted his brow and tapped   
two keys on the scanner.  
"This is really odd...I'm detecting radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, microwaves, x-rays, and even gamma   
radiation...but I don't think this thing is giving off anything in the visible spectrum to speak of." Training the scanner in   
the direction he thought the readings were originating from, Kyle narrowed the bandwidth to Infrared/Ultraviolet and   
turned up the power. "...Just as I thought. There's an abrupt cut in the readings from red to violet."  
"What are you saying..." Vance chimed in. "...we're not gonna be able to see this thing?"  
"No, nothing of the sort. It's not like it's invisible or anything." The scanner powered down with a low-pitched   
hum, and then was silent. "It's just not going to be blinding us with bursts of light. I wouldn't get too close, though...this   
thing is radioactive. The gamma rays aren't that bad, but don't take this thing home with you."  
"I wouldn't worry about that," McGinnis replied, feeding power through his pulse rifle with a supersonic whine.   
"Whatever we find, I'm sure it won't be going much of anywhere."  
Suddenly, the whine of McGinnis' pulse rifle powering up became a distant roaring noise. The men glanced   
around with confused expressions, wondering what was causing it...  
"Well, that's certainly not your pulse rifle," Vance joked.  
The noise began to get louder. Laughter was quickly replaced with an air of tension. Williams and Adams   
walked back over while scanning the surroundings. McGinnis looked to Kyle, who had his gaze locked on the other   
end of the canyon.  
"Alright, stay close. Get your weapons ready. I don't know what that is, but if it's unfriendly, it's not going to   
live very long. Adams, take point. McGinnis, Vance, take the rear. Stay sharp." Pointing a finger to the positions he   
wanted them in, Kyle fed the power through his weapon, and breathed heavily to get some oxygen. It was getting even   
hotter than before.  
They silently complied, and not another word was said. In a tight formation, they continued along the canyon   
floor. The roaring was becoming even louder. Kyle couldn't help but glance around nervously.  
*Left...no, right...back that way... Where is it coming from...?*  
Inhale...exhale... It was getting kind of tough to breathe with all the moisture in his suit. The roar was like a   
freight train.  
*Why is it getting so hot...?*  
Searching for an answer, he froze dead in his tracks. "When the volume of a gas is held constant,   
temperature varies directly with pressure..."  
Williams caught on a second later and looked upward just in time to see a titanic wall of sand falling down   
upon them like a demonic horde.  
"Get down! Stay on top of the sand!"  
Kyle's warning came almost too late. As soon as they had dropped to the canyon floor, the massive   
sandstorm landed right on top of them, and began to surge through the confined walls of the gorge. The noise became   
overwhelming as huge amounts of burning sand began to fall upon their prone forms. The storm itself seemed to   
begin to speak, as the noises changed in pitch and tone from reflecting off the walls. Horrifying, guttural roars that   
brought forth images of creatures with horns and nightmares, alone in the dark. Their screaming was soon silenced as   
the five men were completely swallowed by the canyon floor and the storm itself. First legs and bodies, then   
heads...and finally their grasping hands. Fingertips wiggled in terror as they were quickly absorbed by the howling   
inferno.  
Two minutes...three minutes...seven minutes. Slowly, the winds died down, and the remaining grains of   
sand fell to the ground like a soft, sparkling rain.  
When the winds had ceased, and all was silent, there was no sign that men had ever been to this place.   
  
  
In the middle of the desert wastelands of Titania, there are rocks. There is also a large quantity of sand, and   
various unremarkable minerals. If you're lucky, you might find a particularly hardy plant in a shaded outcropping.  
And there is a small house.  
There shouldn't be a house, but there is.  
Would you build a house in the middle of a desert, with no water and no way to escape to civilization? Of   
course you wouldn't. It's just not very intellegent.  
That is, it's not very intellegent if you intend on continuing your life.  
In the scorching heat of Titania's day side, the only object you can find that was made by the hands of   
humans is a glass dome, filled with grass, flowers, and a small structure.  
It was here that Michiru stopped.  
Slowly, she approached the glass dome. Just five steps, and she halted again.  
The glassy material reflected her sad face as she stood before it, her likeness slightly warped by the convex   
surface. It continued down to the sandy ground, forming a hemisphere of isolation. Directly on the other side, there   
was grass. Wonderful, forest-green grass that rippled gently in an intangible cool breeze.  
And there were flowers. Large, earthen pots of flowers, bubbling over with colorful petals and stems. They   
were overgrown with whitish roots, which snaked downward until they reached the rich topsoil.  
And there was a house.  
Michiru watched her reflection in the glassy surface for a moment, watched tears stream down her face like   
streams of silver. The pain and suffering in her eyes was so great, it chilled her heart to see herself.  
*The gods should be wary of echoes of flame...*  
The facade of a reflection that she saw should have changed her feelings in this moment...but she felt   
nothing. Her heart was empty.  
This, at long last, was her release.  
She had experienced far worse indeed. The loss of Kyle and his shipmates shouldn't have even bothered   
her. But it did, and so she cried. The smiling faces of hundreds of people all wished her good day, and she did not   
flinch.  
The goddess of the sea could not hold back her tears.  
Slowly, she raised her hand up toward the glass, the reflective surface mirroring her every movement. She   
spread her fingers apart, watched them in the glass. Her hand turned both ways, and she observed the light polish on   
her nails. When she could no longer stand the pain of her existence, Michiru pushed her hand toward the glass.  
And it passed right through.  
  
  
o/' ...Umi ga hirogaru... o/'  
o/' ...Kaze ga yuretekuru... o/'  
o/' ...Sukoshi samui kedo... o/'  
o/' ...Hashiridashite... o/'  
"What IS that music?"  
"Oh, calm down, it's just something I'm fond of." Alex was certainly appeared relaxed, as he kicked both feet   
up on top of his console, and stuck both hands behind his head. "Romantic, isn't it?"  
*Damn, he's irritating…* Cassy thanked whatever higher power existed that her thoughts were quieter than   
the song being played. *Why can't he just leave me alone? I'm going to kill Kyle for doing this…*  
She tried to take her mind off Alex, but the only other topic that filled her mind was Nerissa. Sittuations like   
this always seemed to pop up whenever she had a short fuse.  
*Just my luck that I'd end up with two troublemakers in the same day...* Why did that woman give her such a   
hard time in the first place?  
Her thoughts flashed back to her argument in front of her unit. *You're insubordinate.* That's what Nerissa   
had intended to get across.  
*Tch...I didn't want to make a bad first impression, and all she did was jump right on top of me! I don't need   
any more enemies…*  
Her hand lightly tapped the comm switch on her panel, and she spoke in a soft, steady voice.  
"Commander, this is the cruiser, respond...Disembarkation party, report..."  
"There's no point. He's probably ignoring us," Alex said, from his reclined position. "Why don't you relax?   
He'll be back in a little to rescue you from the terrible, terrible army man."  
The habitual smirk on his face rubbed against some sore deep within the part of her mind that controlled   
frustration. It wasn't what she needed right then, as she continued to think about her conduct earlier. *I can do   
this...she's just trying to test me...and this guy...I have no idea what's wrong with him...*  
It was an interesting first day so far, she thought. She had just come out of training, replacing a marine that   
had just finished his term of service. Her decision to join the military was based on her father's wish to continue familiy   
tradition... *Well, no point in thinking of the past this early in the morning.* She always thought that her family was   
depending on a son...and they had ended up with her. Due to the overpopulation problems, her family was limited to   
only two children, and her older sister shot any other hopes that a son could be had. It was all her fault, she knew   
that...  
Still, for some reason, no matter how hard she hit herself for not meeting her family's expectations, Cassy   
tried to hold onto her femininity. It hurt her to know that she was unwanted, that she wasn't really her father's idea of a   
child. However, she joined the military on his suggestion, just to prove to him that she could be as good as a son while   
still being who she was.  
*I can do this...I can win...*  
Her wrist chronometer beeped twice. Glancing at it as her train of thought was abruptly derailed, she blinked   
in confusion.  
"It's been an hour already, and he hasn't checked in...don't you think we should do something?"  
Alex had his eyes shut.  
"Tch, how can you sleep at a time like this?" Cassy clenched a fist, and turned back to her station in anger.  
"Relax, those suits have enough filtering power to last at least six hours in this heat. He has an emergency   
beacon with him. They're moving together, so it's impossible that all of them would be incapacitated at once. And   
don't forget that we're here. If the sensors picked up any change in readings, we'd know something was going on."  
Alex opened one eye. "Besides, I think he's doing you a favor leaving you alone with me."  
She sighed in annoyance. "So you weren't sleeping. Figures you'd pull something cute like pretending to do   
so."  
"Oh, ya think I'm cute," Alex added with a smile.  
"Don't you ever give up? You know that I don't have any interest in you."  
"I know that. Not that I'll listen or anything...but I know. Don't worry, you'll come around soon enough,   
angel."  
Cassy smartly turned her chair back to the piloting console, and depressurized the hydraulic system in the   
crusier's port landing strut. With an explosion of compressed air and a crash of metal, the port side of the ship dropped   
about twenty feet, leaving the floor tilted at a forty-five degree angle. Alex fell out of his chair in a perfect roll, tumbling   
down the deck platings until he hit the bulkhead with a satisfying thud. Holding onto her chair with one hand, Cassy   
tapped the hydraulic control again, righting the vessel. Groaning more in defeat than in pain, Alex didn't move from his   
spot on the floor.  
"Oops." Cassy chuckled under her breath.  
"Hey, what the hell is going on up there?" The angry voice of crewman Stevenson was pretty clear to both of   
the bridge officers. "I've got a bruise on my head that's the same color as what your face is gonna look like after I get   
through with you! Goddamn you Alex..."  
WIth a click, his voice ceased. Alex held a look of disbelief on his face, and he stretched both arms toward   
the ceiling.  
"What's up with that? Why is it automatically MY fault?"  
"You should be more restrained with your pranks," Cassy reprimanded, crossing her arms.  
"I'm gonna make you pay for that," Alex said, rubbing his head with one hand and pointing at a finger at his   
assailant with the other.  
She smiled lightly. It was a temporary victory, but it felt like she just won the war.  
Beyond that, she didn't have time to do much other than widen her eyes in terror as the cruiser's proximity   
alarm went off, and the bridge exploded into flame.  
  
  
Inside the small house, inside the small bubble, there lived one person.  
This person obviously had little contact with anyone, considering the isolation of their home. That having   
been said, the choice of location was perfect for someone who didn't want to be disturbed. It took resources and   
special equipment to even survive out here. To make it all the way to this place, that was something you had to   
specially plan. There were no accidents that allowed people to find this house. There hadn't even been a person in   
this remote area for at least a year.  
And now, the silent form of a god passed through this place.  
Michiru walked slowly across the soft grass, the cool air around her just like a spring day. It radiated peace,   
calm, serenity…  
The man-made concept of time ceased to exist, in this place. It seemed like someone had taken a piece of   
eternity and sown it deep beaneath the surface, where it blossomed into a tiny speck of peace amid chaos.  
Gently, her feet fell atop the grass, and her motion stopped. From within the house, there came a voice. A   
proud, powerful voice...yet, it spoke in infinite kindness.  
"I watch the flowers every day. Little by little, they overgrow their basins. I can't even tell where you planted   
them anymore...but I won't touch them."  
She nearly fell apart, at the sound of that voice.  
"If I touched them...it wouldn't remind me of you any longer."  
Michiru fell forward in a shower of tears, but she was caught and embraced in love and warmth a moment   
later.   
"I was afraid I would never see you again…"  
She cried into the strong arms of the other, but gentle fingers ran through her hair in soothing motions.  
"Shh...it's alright...it's alright now..."  
"More people are going to die…young people…people with beautiful dreams," said she.  
For a moment only, immeasurable power coursed through the other's veins...but it vanished as quickly as it   
appeared.  
"After all this time...after so much sorrow..."  
Even as the other reiterated what she had come to found out, she was silent...  
"At long last, He comes to finish us..."  
"I don't care," she interjected. "I don't care about any of it! I'm never going back...never!"  
The other looked back at her with surprise.  
"I won't fight anymore...I *can't* fight anymore," said she. "The faces...I see the faces of every innocent we   
ever sacrificed upon the faces of every person still alive... I see nothing but evil within myself whenever I am warmly   
embraced by humanity... I've lost whatever semblence of a woman I used to be..."  
The other listened with silent eyes.  
"I've become...a monster..."  
Her sorrows went on in sounds that defied words, and the other held her gently for what seemed like hours...  
Hours were all they had left.  
"Such a word doesn't suit someone as beautiful as you," said the other. "Nothing...*nothing* in this universe   
could ever make you anything except an angel of light..."  
Still, she cried, because she knew their fate. The thoughts entered her head just as forceful as before...just   
as horrible...  
"How can that ever come to pass, if we never leave this place? Why would I *ever* want to become a   
destroyer of worlds, when I could stay here forever with you?"  
She blinked upward at the other, her sense of reality wiped away. Her tears were brushed away by a   
trembling hand.  
"They'll save the galaxy…they always have."  
She answered with a nod.  
And they kissed.  
  
  
Inhaling sharply, Kyle regained consciousness.  
It was pitch black. The air inside his suit was burning hot; it hurt his lungs. He had to breathe deeply to get   
enough oxygen.  
"Ugh...can't...move..." He pushed as hard as he could with his arms in both directions, but they were locked   
in an upward position. When he thought about it, he really couldn't tell what position his body was in. *I've got to be   
buried under the sand...this isn't good...* Tapping his communications system inside his glove, he keyed it to group   
band.  
"Dammit, if any of you are still alive, respond!"  
No one answered. Kyle cursed under his breath. He probably didn't have much air left.  
"I am NOT going out like this," he shouted, and pushed against the sand with his arms as hard as he could.   
As long as his suit wasn't punctured, he couldn't actually suffocate until he ran out of oxygen. Since he wasn't dead   
already, he figured that he hadn't been hit by any large rocks and such. Now, if only he could get to the surface...but   
he had no idea how deeply he was buried.  
"Come on, damn you! Move!" The more he struggled, the more it seemed to press against him. It was like   
being wrapped in lead blankets. Kyle gritted his teeth, and tapped his com system again.  
"Look, I know that not ALL of you are dead, because otherwise, I'd have to get *REALLY* mad, so wake up   
and talk to me before I dig up your-dead-bodies-and-kick-your-asses-until-you-make-me-stop!" Every other word was   
accented by a push against the sand that was slowly suffocating him. He kicked with his legs, struggled with his body,   
and jerked his arms as hard as he possibly could.  
"Oh GOD my head hurts..."  
Kyle stopped struggling for a moment. That wasn't him.  
"Who is that?"  
"Vance...*SHIT*, we're stuck under a mile of sand, aren't we?" He sounded steamed. Kyle didn't blame him.  
"I hope not." Kyle began to struggle once more as he talked. "I'm guessing we have about five minutes of   
air left at best. The emergency filters in our suits are pieces of junk."  
A very loud, very painful groan was heard over the speaker in Kyle's helmet. He flailed even harder.  
"You're not hurt, are you Kyle?"  
"That wasn't me."  
"Good lord, that felt like getting hit by a maglev train three times over," said Adams. "I'm here, Kyle...my leg   
hurts really badly, though..."  
"Both of you, try to find your way to the top..." Kyle muttered something about not knowing which way the top   
was, but he kept going. His feet were pressing into the bottom of his boots, but it also felt like he was lying backward...   
Changing his motions to fit what he thought he knew about his position, he began to make a little leeway. When it   
came down to actual progress, however, he guessed that a few inches weren't going to help him if he was six feet   
under.  
"Kyle...I can't move at all." Adams sounded remarkably calm, but there was some fear behind his voice. "I   
can feel blood down at the bottom of my suit, and some sand too..."  
"Try not to think about it, just figure out which way is up and do your best, Adams..."  
"My display is telling me that there's a containment leak in my suit..."  
"I told you not to think about it, just start heading upwards..."  
"I'm not going to make it, Kyle."  
He froze, having no answer to that at first.  
"This is so stupid..." Adams was almost laughing. "I mean, I didn't think I'd die like this..."  
"You're not going to die, dammit! Start digging!"  
"Don't worry about me, Commander. I'm guessing that I'm buried a lot deeper than you two anyway..."  
"You don't know that, and I don't care how deep you're buried, I'm not losing anyone today!"  
Kyle twisted his body, and managed to align himself vertically with the surface after a bit of work. Thrusting   
upward, he began a slow ascent to the surface, breathing heavily.  
"Look...just tell my parents I love them, okay? Tell them I'm sorry I had to leave like this," Adams continued,   
with a bit of laughter in his voice. "and tell them that I didn't join the military just to get some attention..."  
Kyle gritted his teeth. "If you don't shut up, I really am going to leave you here!"  
"You don't even know where I am, and even if you did, you wouldn't have enough strength to get to me."  
*Tch...getting hard to breathe...*  
Kyle shut his eyes tight, and pushed upward with all his might. "I'll have enough strength to save you all!"  
Someone grabbed his hand.  
Kyle yelped in surprise and felt someone grab on tight, then start to pull hard. The sand began to flow   
around his body like water as he was pulled to the top. Helping his mystery savior as much as he could, the two of   
them managed to get his head above the surface, and Kyle stared right into the face of Erich Williams.  
"Hey Commander. Sorry I'm late."  
"Where the hell were you? And why didn't you say something about it?"  
Williams hauled Kyle out of the sand as they spoke, and the latter took a knee from exhaustion. The bright   
sun stung his eyes and the fresh air flowing into his suit cooled his lungs. He was glad to be alive.  
"My com system was damaged by the storm...I managed to reach the canyon wall and keep on top of the   
sand as it rose. Some of those rocks hurt like the dickens, though..."  
"Nevermind that...we don't have time to talk...Adams is hurt. We have to dig him up. Vance is somewhere   
down there too."  
"I found McGinnis, he's unconscious. I think he got hit in the head. Don't really know if he'll be okay."  
Raising his head, Kyle looked around. The sand had to have come up by at least seven feet, the only thing   
he could recognize was a strange outcropping he had spotted earlier. Sucking a few hard breaths, he managed to   
stand up. Something didn't seem right.  
"This seems like a lot of sand for just a normal sandstorm..."  
"Yeah, I thought so too," Williams said, "and these storms supposedly happen every day."  
"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is strange. Let's get the hell out of here. Start digging up the   
others."  
"Right." Williams started looking at the ground, trying to determine where the other two were buried. Kyle   
straightened his suit a bit and checked himself, nothing seemed to be injured. Walking quickly over to McGinnis'   
unconscious form, he determined that there weren't any signs of external injury, which meant it was either minor or   
something internal. Kyle wasn't about to take chances. He set his com channel to wideband and started talking.  
"Disembarkation party to anyone who can hear me, this is a Code 1 medical alert - we could have fatalities   
on our hands if we don't get these people some help, I want you over here NOW, Alex!"  
Three seconds of silence was all Kyle was willing to tolerate after that.  
"Goddamn you, I'm not joking about this! Respond!"  
Almost as if answering his command, a deep roar suddenly echoed through the canyon, far away and heard   
in distant echoes for several moments afterward. Both Williams and Kyle froze. It slowly faded as it continued down   
the crevasse, but it certainly set their priorities straight.  
"I don't care WHAT that was, we're not waiting for Alex, wherever the hell he is...Let's get those two out of   
the sand and run!"  
"No objections here..." Reaching down, Williams grabbed one of two pulse rifles he had managed to dig up,   
and tossed it to Kyle. The two of them began to dig frantically.  
"Vance, Adams, start talking, I'm going to try to figure out where you're buried."  
"Can't...breathe...Kyle..." Vance's voice was extremely weak, but the triangulator circuits in their suits told   
him where the signal was coming from.  
"Go left! He's down at least three feet!"  
Williams pushed sand out of the way as fast as he could, but he could only manage a few inches at a time.   
Even with Kyle's help, it wasn't going very fast.  
"Hold on Vance, we're coming for you...Adams, talk to me..."  
There wasn't an answer.  
Something in his head kept Kyle digging, even as the consequences of that silence found their way into his   
mind. They were running out of time.  
  
  
Half a world away, Michiru's eyes snapped open from their blissful rest.  
"I hear something..."  
Explosions began to ring in her ears from two seperate directions.  
"Sssh..."  
The warm embrace of her companion almost erased the carnage from her mind.  
"The settlement..."  
Almost.  
"..."  
Her complex fantasies crumbled so easily...  
"...It couldn't be helped, Michiru."  
  
  
Shrieks of plasma fire and roars of inhuman rage tore the air to ribbons as the deadly struggle played itself   
out. It was like a dance, really. One would run foward, carrying another, while two more would remain. Then the   
creature would follow, and reach out with deadly limbs to relieve them of their lives. The two would move, just in time,   
and the creature would start again...shrugging off the bright shells of aetherized matter and plodding forward.  
They had to run.  
It was right behind them.  
It wanted to kill them, you know.  
A hissing noise, a well-aimed laser burst. A howl of pain. One of four fleshy limbs tumbled in slow motion to   
the canyon floor. Sent up a tiny cloud of dust where it landed. The pristine dunes were stained in bright reds, and   
magentas, and purples...scattered like an artist's paintbrush.  
Another hail of energy. The creature staggered, and shrank back. Hastily shouted commands. Running.   
Struggling against the sandy surface.  
Then the monster would lunge forward, regaining strength...footsteps pounding upon the earth, until it   
bellowed in anger and lashed out in force. A boulder shattered into millions of fragments, scattering against the walls   
with countless rocky taps. The man had managed to dodge, but now it had him. Already, the large eye blinked and   
swiveled in one of two large sockets, pondering how this man would die. But the other two would come to the rescue,   
blasting away until their weapons would fire no more. Double clicks, power cells dropped to the ground. Extended   
hands, reloading noises. More running.  
It was still alive. They were still alive...but...but we had to leave...McGinnis...  
Run. It's coming.  
How could we leave him...?  
Turn. Jump.  
How could...could I let this happen...?  
*How...how could I let him die...?*  
"Heads up, damn you, it's coming again!"  
"Aim for the arms!"  
The pulse rifles came to life, writhing spheres of electric blue blurring the air around themselves as they   
collided with their target. The wounds they made weren't as large as the first ones they had made. The rifles weren't   
having as much of an effect.  
It wasn't going to stop this time.  
Kyle thumbed the dispersal switch on his rifle. It clicked with a sound of internal mechanisms. The power   
gauge on his weapon leapt up seventeen bars. Vance and Williams did the same, a hum now filling the air as they   
aimed their rifles again.  
"Fire!"  
The huge lances of ionized air tore through the flesh of the creature, illiciting a primal shriek that chilled their   
blood. It toppled in a shower of red, stumbled, hesitated...  
Kyle turned his back and ran.  
  
  
This seems to be a good place to stop.  
Let me intercede for a moment. I have something important I should point out.  
It's true that I know the outcome of all of this, while you have barely started. It's also true that you will know   
as much as I do at the end.  
However...the order in which you learn things may differ from what actually happens, chronologically.  
...Powerful forces were at work during these times, forces strong enough to give pause to my own power. At   
times, things were hidden from me.  
At times, things will be hidden from you.  
For a while, at least.  
  
  
They had reached the end.  
It had collapsed. The canyon had collapsed at a point, and now they were trapped. A giant rockslide.  
And they weren't just being chased by one anymore. Now there were dozens.  
"Oh, FUCK this. FUCK all of this." Vance was obviously unhappy. "This is total bullshit! Where did this wall   
come from?! There wasn't a goddamn wall here before!"  
Their pursuers roared in inexorable malice.  
"I think we're going to die."  
Oh god, Williams could be so annoying sometimes.  
Kyle came in last, slamming his back against one of the largest rocks. Moisture dripped down his face,   
trapped by the suffocating shell of his environmental suit. The power cell fell away from his weapon, and he slid   
another into place with a click. His last one.  
"Any ideas? Because now would be a REALLY GOOD time for some ideas, Kyle!"  
"SHUT UP, Vance!" Kyle let the barrel of his weapon fall to the ground in rest. His breath came in ragged   
strokes. It was hot. The atmosphere regulators were running out of power. This was a futile retreat. All they were   
doing was delaying the inevitable.  
He smiled for a moment. *Well, at least we won't be running anymore.*  
The first of the creatures was coming around the wide arc of the canyon. The three were going to die much   
sooner than they hoped.  
At that moment, he came up with a plan.  
"Climb!" Kyle shouted. "Climb and don't stop! I'll hold them here!"  
"I'd argue with you, but I can't think of anything except old clichés..."  
Vance didn't waste any more time, he grabbed Williams by an arm, and they started to fly up the steep side   
of the rubble. Having made sure they were off, Kyle turned back to the oncoming horrors with a scowl. His left hand   
played over the tiny keypad, engaging the barrel lock and jacking the output up to full. The energy meter leapt to   
maximum, and the danger light blinked on. The rifle began to throb in his hand, waiting to be fired. This time, though,   
the energy would have nowhere to go.  
Counting to three slowly in his head, Kyle pulled the trigger and threw the makeshift bomb at his attackers,   
then ran for all he was worth. It still wasn't enough.  
The iridium inside the power cell gave the bright magnesium-white explosion a tinge of purple, and the   
shockwave slammed him flat against the rock he had been scaling. The facing of his helmet slammed against his   
cheek, and he cried out as the thick plastic cracked. Shrapnel whistled through the air and clanged all around him, but   
he felt nothing hit. Spots flashed in front of his eyes from the impact, and he tasted wet iron in his mouth. His ribs   
were a bit sore, but they didn't feel broken or cracked...his environmental suit had taken a bit of the impact. He   
swooned for a moment, and a prickly sensation overcame him.  
At the same time, the creatures were, for the most part, very dead. The ones that had lived were making a   
noise that Kyle swore was tearing his brain from his skull. He coughed once, then twice...felt a drop of blood slide   
down to his chin, then wearily reached up for a handhold and pulled for all he was worth. It was hard to grab on. His   
suit felt very cold all of a sudden. Wiliams and Vance were at least fifty feet ahead of him, straight up. He wasn't sure   
if he'd have the strength to make it to the top.  
Something howled below. Kyle blinked twice, hard. The spots wouldn't move from his eyes. Random   
images flew through his mind. His grip loosened, and his vision blurred.  
*No...move...come on...*  
A sudden spell of exhaustion took him, and his arms fell away. Pulled by gravity, Kyle fell backwards, into   
the thirty-foot span he had already climbed. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see more of the creatures coming.   
They slowed down...no, he sped up. They moved in slow motion, roared in rage, and stretched their appendages up   
toward the offering that now fell into their clutches.  
Above him, he heard Vance and Williams, shouting faintly. They were watching. They woudln't be able to do   
anything, though...it was already too late.  
Everything was so quiet now. His hands felt deathly cold, but warm, in a strange way...  
There was a bright flash of light. Kyle managed a smile before he landed on something very hard, and   
everything went black.  
  
  
"KYLE!" Vance screamed in helplessness. His hand flew downward on instinct. Their commander fell from   
the rocky incline very slowly. Williams held onto his other hand, tightly.  
"Goddammit...!" They couldn't do anything. He was going to die.  
There was a horrible roaring sound from below, and a hypersonic whine from above.  
The picket cruiser was above them...and something flashed brightly beneath their feet.  
  
  
"My god, he's going to fall...blow the hell out of those things!" Alex ordered.  
"Something's interfering with the power relays...I can't raise the gunnery deck!"  
Cassy struggled with her panel, but she was out of time. Kyle began to fall.  
Alex began to yell, but a bright light flashed at the bottom of the canyon, and the cruiser toppled from the   
skies.  
  
  
*...It's so cold...*  
*......Why can't I see anymore...?*  
*...Goodbye...everyone...*  
*.........I don't want to......to die...like this...*  
It's not time to die yet.  
*.......What...?*  
You can feel it inside, can't you?  
*......?*  
Save yourself.  
*......How?*  
Save yourself. Save them all.  
  
  
The backlash from the explosion obliterated the remainder of the creatures. It blinded everyone, shining in a   
shade of white that went right through your eyelids and burned your mind. The shockwave slammed into the side of   
the picket cruiser, and the engines faltered...the correction thrusters activating all at once and spinning it in wide arcs.   
The main engines cut out, and it plunged from the air, tumbling like a children's toy until it slammed into the rocky   
ground above the canyon, miraculously landing rightside up. The thick sandstone walls cracked and sundered,   
splitting with a deafening roar. Rays of light punched through the cracks, and vanished as quickly as they appeared.   
Everything fell in on itself in a huge dust cloud.  
And when the dust had cleared, Vance and Williams stood in the center...the only place still untouched.   
They looked about in confusion and awe at the devastation around them...and then in surprise, as they discovered that   
they stood over the unconscious, but unharmed form of Kyle Anson.   
  
  
*The grass is so soft...I don't remember grass being so soft…*  
Michiru lied on the grass, resting on her side. It really was soft...and cool, and smelled with the freshness   
that you could only taste on the brightest of spring days.  
She had fallen asleep, here in this place.  
Arms were wrapped tightly around her. She was enveloped in the energies of the other. It calmed her...it   
fought against the horrible things she felt. She had cried, off and on,...not saying anything at all. Escaping from   
reality...until she fell asleep, and finally evaded the eyes of life. She let everything she had felt for years now fall off of   
her like a heavy burden...and unchained the dark wings that she had hid for so long.  
"You always go off into your own little worlds…"  
She looked up. Soft grey eyes shone back.  
"Don't leave me here alone…"  
Michiru ran a few fingers through her companion's unkempt hair...and a smile took her face, at last.  
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be so selfish."  
"I like it when you keep me to yourself."  
"I love you, silly. I won't let anyone else have you."  
"Who's jealous now?"  
Michiru laughed, and felt a cool breeze drift over their bodies. She closed her eyes, and pushed her face   
against the bosom of her companion. She felt so young, held in that embrace...the hundreds of years seemed like just   
a few days.  
"How old are we?"  
"Does it matter?"  
"I guess not..."  
There was silence for a moment.  
"We're 1,150 this year."  
Michiru thought about that, for a moment.  
"Don't you ever wonder how that works?"  
"I try not to worry, they say it gives you wrinkles."  
She laughed. Michiru should have expected that reply.  
"It was a mistake...all of this was a mistake."  
"It's all right. We did the right thing. It's over now."   
"Is it...?"  
A hand reached down, and delicately tilted her head upward. Their eyes met, one smiling, one wondering.  
A moment later, their gaze had turned elsewhere.  
"Did you...?"  
"Yes...what was that...?"  
  
  
Kyle's eyes opened, accompanied by a loud crash of electricity and metal.  
They were all there.  
Cassy had a welding torch, and was working on something inside a conduit.  
Alex was rewiring a panel that had blown.  
Williams was working on the engineering interface.  
Vance stepped into the empty lift shaft, and climbed down the emergency ladder to the deck below.  
He was propped against a wall, sitting upright. His limbs felt cold and prickly.  
He was alive. Somehow, he was alive.  
  
  
"It's him…he survived…"  
"Him…?"  
"Kyle did it…"  
Inside, she smiled. She hoped beyond hope that he could do it, that he could win against the impossible   
odds. And he did.  
"Kyle? Friend of yours?"  
"...Yes..."  
"This changes things, doesn't it?" The other asked after a few moments.  
Michiru got to her feet, slowly. She brought a commanding gaze upon the horizon, and a stiff breeze   
buffetted her figure. Winds raged ouside the bubble, a great maelstrom forming about the island of tranquility. Her   
fingers curled slowly into her palms, and clenched into fists. The wind intensified...far beyond what was normal.   
Greenish bolts of electricity shone deep within her eyes...an expression that would strike terror into the hearts of   
anything in her path.  
She turned. Their eyes met once again, and all was silent for a moment.  
No, that's inaccurate. It was more than a moment. At times in the life of a person, there comes a moment   
where the rest of your life flashes before your eyes. You make a choice.  
And so, in that moment, Michiru made a choice. A choice that directly affected the final end of this story, a   
choice that will indeed determine the events of every single chapter to come. A choice that would lead to joy, sorrow,   
pain, friendship, life, death, anguish, and love.  
A choice that would unmake a world, and cast down angels from the heavens.  
The spirit of Neptune awoke deep within her, and the suppression seal on her power snapped like a twig   
caught in a tropic squall.  
"We're going back, Haruka…we're going back to war…"  
  
  
  



End file.
